No decision on zoning yet – PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said it is yet to decide on zoning for 2023 election, saying it would only take the decision after reviewing its performance at the 2019 general elections.

The PDP National Chair, Uche Secondus, said this in Abuja while briefing journalists on Thursday.

Mr Secondus said the party had a methodology of doing things and that would be followed in taking decision for the 2023 elections.

“After the general election, we set up a panel to study and appraise our performance and make necessary recommendations.

“The Governor of Bauchi state, Alhaji Bala Mohammed, is heading the committee and it is still working.

“We did the same thing when we lost election in 2015 when we set up Sen. Ike Ekweremadu committee to look into why we lost. It was from that report that the party took action towards 2019.

“The same way this time, we must study our last outing before looking ahead. We can’t be talking of zoning when we have not appraised how we fared in the last election.

“Moreover, the state of the nation today is such that politics or anything concerning 2023 of three years away should take back stage,’’ he said.

Mr Secondus said the National Working Committee (NWC ) took over the affairs of the party when it lost election after 16 years in power.

He said the NWC inherited a party that had problems with internal democracy, because delegates were not given the final say on selection of the flag bearers of the party in election.

Mr Secondus, however, said notwithstanding, PDP under his leadership through reforms had significantly enhanced its image and status.

“All over the country the PDP remains the bride. States under the party’s control rose from 11 to 16, while the party now makes use of internal mechanism to resolve its internal issues.

“At the risk of being seen as blowing our own trumpet, it’s necessary to note that this NWC is the first in transparency and accountability.

“It is the first to function effectively for three years without scandal or dent of corruption.

“The first, also to successfully render account of its monetary expenditures to both National Executive Council (NEC) and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as statutorily required,’’ he said.

Mr Secondus said the NWC would within the next one year embark on programmes including e-membership registration slated for 2021.

He said the NWC also intended to finalise the peace and reconciliation process within the party with a view to entering the general election as a united and focused political family.

“The 2019 general election appraisal committee is also expected to finalise its report and some decisions are to be taken and implemented from that.

“In the next one year we also intend to continue the reorganisation of our administrative structure to bring us to the realistic opposition status through digitalisation and upgrading of our offices,” he said.

Mr Secondus accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of poaching members of the PDP and other opposition parties to run election on its platform ahead of 2023.

“I believe that what should bother the ruling party most should be governance, the security, the economy, all that have broken down,” he said.

Asked if PDP was making moves to bring back former President Goodluck Jonathan following the clamour for an Igbo presidency, Mr Secondus said the decision could only be made after the submission of election appraisal committee’s report.

He, however, added that the decision was not for the NWC but for the entire membership of the party.

“I believe that whoever that is interested in 2023, including the former President, has a bright chance because the PDP is a party of all.

“Everybody will have that opportunity but in clear terms, we have not taken any decision to give anybody ticket for now,’’ he said.

(NAN)