There are strong indications that the position of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress has been zoned to the South -South geo-political zone while the position of Secretary has been zoned to the North-West.
A source within the party, confided in our correspondent, in Abuja, on Tuesday, that the sub-committee on zoning made this recommendation to the convention committee which in turn will forward it the national executive committee for ratification.
Already, a former Bayelsa State Governor Timipre Sylva and a former national vice chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Sam Jaja, and a former Governor of Edo State, Chief John Oyegun are in contention for the position of chairman.
Governors on the party’s platform appear more favourably disposed to Sylva.
While a leader of the party from the South-West is more favourably disposed to Oyegun for the job.
Those pushing for the ex-governor argue that choosing Sylva as chairman would help the party score two valuable political points.
The source said “Picking somebody like Sylva will send a strong message to the people of Bayelsa in particular and the South South in general.
“President Goodluck Jonathan is obviously going to be the choice of the PDP so if we counter them with a person from his backyard it will serve its purpose.
“Secondly, it will also show Nigerians that our party is neither a regional party nor is it meant only for those of a certain religious persuasion as some people are trying to make it look.”
Those pushing for Oyegun argue that his maturity and experience will stand the party in good stead.
For the position of secretary, the source said, a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, is likely to clinch the position of secretary which has being zoned to the North-West.
He, however, has the incumbent interim national secretary, Alhaji Tijjani Tumsa to contend with.
A new twist was introduced to the permutations following news that an influential member of the party from the South-West has a different preposition.
He was said to have forwarded the names of Oyegun for the position of chairman and a certain Kashim from the North-East for the position of secretary.
It was also learnt that the leader of the South-East caucus of the party, Owelle Rochas Okorocha prevailed on his members to jettison any claim they had to the chairmanship position because getting the chairmanship position will deprive the zone a shot at the party’s presidential ticket.
However, the Secretary of the Convention Committee, Senator Chris Ngige told reporters after the committee’s meeting, in Abuja, said the committee was yet to take any decision in respect of zoning.
Ngige said, “The convention committee has not zoned any office to any part of the country. The issue of zoning has to be by consensus. I can assure you that we are going to conduct a transparent convention.”
While responding to inquiries about pending issues with respect to state congresses, the secretary explained that such complains were coming from only 4 out of the 36 states of the federation including Abuja.
This, he said, was a sign that the party was dealing with its issues and was poised to give Nigerians a better alternative to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party.
Earlier, the National Convention Committee held an enlarged meeting with members of its 12 sub-committees where specific roles were assigned to them
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