THE National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has thrown open the presidential ticket of the party following the adoption of the report of the national caucus.
The report of the 37-man committee which recommended that the presidential ticket be thrown open, was endorsed at the rescheduled meeting held late Wednesday.
The ICIR had earlier reported the adjournment of the NEC meeting in the early hours of Wednesday as party stakeholders could not reach a resolution over the zoning of the presidential ticket.
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The communique issued by the NEC partly read, “Zoning and Rotational Presidency provision in the PDP is good and served the party well in the past. It should be affirmed and it is hereby affirmed. We must always try to enshrine justice justly and fairly.
“It is in the interest of justice and fair play that the party should take decision on zoning timeously so as to prevent complication to the process as it is happening now.
“In the light of the above, the presidential election should now be left open. However, the party should work towards a consensus candidate where possible.”
A former Senate President David Mark was appointed the head of the Presidential Convention Committee and the convention is to hold in Abuja.
The development means that the PDP did not agree with calls by stakeholders including the Southern Governors Forum that power must shift to the South in 2023.
The ICIR had reported that leaders of Southern and Middle Belt groups warned that they will work against the PDP if a northerner emerges as the party’s presidential candidate.
