Ahmed Makarfi
The Chairman of the National Caretaker Committee
of the Peoples Democratic Party, Ahmed Makarfi, has said the office of the
national chairman of the party is open to all the three zones in the southern
part of the country.
The three zones are South-West, South-South and
South-East.
He spoke against the backdrop of rumours making
the rounds that the office had been zoned to the South-West.
Makarfi gave the explanation in Abuja on Tuesday
at a meeting he held with all the eight aspirants who have shown interest in
the office. The meeting was held at the national headquarters of the party.
A former Governor of Oyo State, Chief Rashidi
Ladoja, who just returned to the party, was at the meeting, which indicated
that he would also be running for the position.
Ladoja returned to the party a few weeks ago.
He left the PDP to join Accord Party about
eight years ago.
Also at the meeting were Chief Bode George,
Prof. Tunde Adeniran, Prof. Taoheed Adedoja, Mr. Jimi Agbaje,
Prince Uche Secondus, Chief Raymond Dokpesi and Chief Gbenga Daniel.
Before the meeting went into a closed-door
session, Makarfi declared that his committee did not have the power to alter
the zoning arrangements that had been agreed to by the national convention of
the party.
At the national convention held in Port Harcourt
in 2015, the party zoned the office of the national chairman to the southern
part of the country, while the presidential slot was ceded to the northern
part.
Makarfi, a former governor of Kaduna State, told
the aspirants that the decisions taken by the national convention of the PDP
and its National Executive Committee could not be reversed by either him or the
national caretaker of the party.
Makarfi said, ”We have no power beyond the
convention and I want to remind all of us, the only thing the convention did
was to zone two positions and as chairman or caretaker committee, you cannot go
beyond that.
“The office of the national chairman is zoned to
the South while that of the president is for the North. No micro zoning.”
Briefing journalists at the end of the meeting,
George, who spoke on behalf of the aspirants, said they had agreed to work
together in the interest of the party.
He said, “We had a very useful meeting with the
NCC. We agreed that we will remain civil and educate our followers because it
is a family contest. It is not a matter of life and death.
“We have agreed and you can see us now holding
our hands. There is no quarrel; let the best man win.
“That is the spirit of the party; that is the
spirit we are sending to the public because we want to win the minds and hearts
of the public that we are better managers.”
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