The Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said it would not zone its presidential slot ahead of the 2023 elections until all contending issues in the party were resolved.
Secretary of the Board, Adolphus Wabara, disclosed this on Thursday following the emergency meeting of the organ of the party on Wednesday night in Abuja.
Mr Wabara, a former senate president, who represented the Board’s chairman, Walid Jibrin, said it was too early to talk about the zoning of key office when issues confronting the main opposition party were yet to be resolved.
He said that would be like putting the cart before the horse.
The PDP was in power for 16 years before it lost the 2015 presidential election to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, from the north east zone of the country, was the party’s flag bearer in the 2019 presidential election.
“By the time we resolve all the issues in the party, we shall come up with a zoning formula. As you know, if you go through the constitution, you will realise that PDP is a party of zoning.
“But when it comes to political exigencies, you will realise that anything can happen, that is why we can amend our constitution at will to win an election,” he said.
Mr Wabara pledged a level playing ground and uninterrupted operations of all organs of the party ahead of its December national convention.
He said the emergency meeting was particularly necessary considering the political and economic tension in the country.
He said the meeting was to ensure stability of all the organs of PDP and to place them on alert and in sharp focus as the party prepares to take over power in 2023.
“The board is fully committed not to allow any mischievous trends or strain to clog the working relationship between all members, particularly at the top management level of the party,” he said.
Mr Wabara said the party was determined to do all that was necessary to ensure that it fulfilled the overwhelming desire of the vast majority of the people of Nigeria that the PDP regained power in 2023.
According to him, the board is unequivocally committed to ensuring that normalcy and peace prevail through all the organs of the party to permit the development and implementation of well-structured plans.
“The BoT will also ensure that very harmonious relationship exists between the organs of the party and in this regard a detailed meeting between the BoT and the NWC is being planned to be held soon,” he stated.
He commended the successful conduct of the party’s three zonal congresses and expressed confidence in the ongoing work of the party’s reconciliation and strategy committee led by Bukola Saraki, a former senate president.
“The board is very appreciative of the commitment of our governors to the party and the exemplary roles they have all been playing to keep the party at optimum operational level,” he said.
He pledged that the party would resolve the leadership crisis in the South-West.
“This is the only party in Nigeria, if not in the world, that is not owned by anybody. This party is owned by the people,” he said.