2023: South-East PDP decision on zoning threatens Ekweremadu, Abaribe’s ambitions

The zoning debate in Enugu, Abia and other South-East States was taken to a higher level on Sunday as the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the zone announced that zoning principles would be strictly adhered to.

PulseNets reports that ahead of the 2023 general elections, political stakeholders in Enugu State are divided over the zoning of the governorship position in the State.

Proponents of zoning are insisting that it is the turn of Enugu East Senatorial zone to produce Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s successor.

But former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, from Enugu West Senatorial zone, said recently that there was no zoning agreement in the State.

The Senator, who announced his decision to contest the governorship position, had said he would not be stopped by zoning.

But in a counter to Ekweremadu’s stand, some other PDP stakeholders, at a press conference, unveiled a document recently, detailing a meeting on zoning, signed by the Enugu State caucus of the party.

It is the same situation in Abia State where a zoning arrangement announced by the PDP appears to have thrown spanners into the guber ambition of Senate Deputy Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe.

In what appears to be an affirmation of the zoning arrangements in the affected States, the PDP South East Zonal Executive Committee (SEC) in its meeting in Enugu, on Sunday, directed that the principles of zoning and rotation of power should be strictly adhered to, “upheld and respected at all levels of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the South East”.

The PDP National Vice Chairman (South East), Chief Ali Odefa had while briefing journalists at the end of the closed-door meeting disclosed that the PDP South East directed that the existing zoning patterns in states and constituencies of the zone must be strictly observed and adhered to in every state and constituency.

Chief Odefa also disclosed that the PDP in the South East zone has aligned with the position of the Southern Governors’ Forum that the next president of Nigeria should come from the southern part of the country.

Addressing the issue of zoning in the South East decisively, the PDP in its resolution at end of the ZEC meeting in Enugu stressed the importance of zoning and rotation particularly “in all situations where, prior to now there had been entrenched the practice of zoning political elective offices”.

The PDP asked the governors of states in the South East zone elected on the platform of the party to ensure strict compliance with the resolution while the party’s Zonal Working Committee (ZWC) in other states was equally asked to liaise with the leaders to ensure compliance.

According to the resolution, “It was resolved that in the election of candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party in the South East for the 2023 elections, the principles of zoning and rotation of power shall be adhered to, upheld and respected at all levels of the Peoples Democratic Party in the South East.

“This is particularly important in all situations where, prior to now there had been entrenched the practice of zoning political elective offices.

“For this purpose, where the governor is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, the governor shall ensure compliance with this resolution while the Zonal Working Committee shall in liaison with the leaders ensure compliance in other state”.

The PDP South East ZEC meeting, which was presided over by the National Vice Chairman, Chief Odefa, was attended by the leader of the Party in the South East and Governor of Enugu State, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Governor Okezie Victor Ikpeazu of Abia State, the National Secretary of the Party, Senator Sam Anyanwu, members of the State and National Assemblies from the zone, members of PDP National Executive Committee (NEC), Board of Trustees (BOT) members, among others.