By Laleye Dipo
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has announced the zoning of all elective and party positions for the 2023 governorship election in Niger State.
The party said in Minna on Tuesday that the governorship slot will now move from the Niger north senatorial zone to Niger south zone.
The governorship candidate of the party in the 2015 and 2019 governorship race, Alhaji Umar Mohammed Nasko from Magama Local Government Area in the Niger north senatorial zone, by the new arrangement is ruled out of the governorship contest in 2023.
The Chairman of the state Caretaker Committee, Alhaji Garba Umaru Ciza, who disclosed this while briefing newsmen at the party secretariat, said the deputy governorship candidate of the party for the 2023 election will be picked from the Niger east senatorial zone.
Ciza said the state chairmanship of the party is retained in the Niger east senatorial zone where two people — the immediate past state chairman, Alhaji Mohammed Tanko Beji and a chieftain of the party, Alhaji Mukhtar Ahmed — have signalled their intentions to contest the slot.
“Under the party’s zoning arrangement in the state, the governorship position goes to Zone A and the deputy governorship position goes to Zone B, whereas the party chairmanship position would remain in Zone B for the next four years after which it moves to Zone C
“This is to be strictly adhered to in the conduct of the committee’s activities towards the party’s next congress and election of the executive officers in the state,” he said.
Ciza said no date has been fixed for the state congress of the party which he said will be conducted by officials from the national working committee of the party.
He disclosed that the officials of the party at ward and local governments levels have all been returned unopposed.
The caretaker committee chairman announced the dissolution of all the standing committees and electoral committees put in place by the former state executive of the party because they have all completed their assignments.
Ciza however disclosed that the dissolution of the electoral committee set up by the outgoing state executive of the party was because it was not established in compliance with the rules governing such exercise.
He promised to give the party purposeful leadership, assuring them also that the party will be transparent, just, free and fair in the conduct of all its activities.
The caretaker committee chair urged members of the party to remain steadfast and continue to mobilise new members ahead of the forthcoming state and national elections.
