Ayu: PDP’s NEC Decision on Zoning Out Soon as C’ttee Submits Report

•Consensus presidential candidate in nation’s interest, says Saraki 

•Team parleys Fintiri, Diri, Ugwuanyi, others

Chuks Okocha in Abuja and Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia

National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, yesterday, promised that the final decision of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party on zoning would be out soon.

Ayu, who spoke when zoning committee submitted its report, however, commended them, saying, “Thank you most sincerely for the wonderful job you’ve done in the short time for the party and how much you have done to unite this party.”

Also, a former President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has said the idea of consensus presidential candidate for the opposition PDP was conceived in nation’s interest.

This is as the quartet of Bukola Saraki,  Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto State and former Managing Director of FSB International Bank, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, had intensified their campaigns for a consensus candidate following meetings with both South-south and Southeast governors.

However, speaking on the zoning report, Ayu said, “We are very proud of the work you have done. We did not hear any rancor. We did not hear anybody even talking about what you discussed?

“Given the sensitive nature of your assignment, if you had already released everything either by disagreement or rancour or anything, it will be very difficult for this party, but you showed so much maturity and leadership. And I believe all members of this great party appreciate the way you have conducted yourselves.

“We want to thank you for the work you’ve all been doing for the party, including our leader, Ambassador Aminu Wali, who is a foundation member of this party and has never stopped working tirelessly for this party.

“Some of you, who have worked in different capacities, I want to assure you that your recommendations will be transmitted to the national executive of your party, which many of you are members, it will be discussed and then it is at that point that NEC will take a final decision.”

He said the report of the committee would be made known as party members awaited it.

His words: “This decision will be known to party members across the country and all Nigerians, who are eagerly awaiting the final decision of your committee. We want to thank you very much, want to appreciate you and pray that when you are called upon to serve the party again because there are so many other assignments that senior party members like you, will have to conduct for us.

“We hope you answer that call as I’ve always done and help to unite this party in such a way that by next year, we should be talking of returning to 1999 and 2003 When we had 20-something governors, controlled both houses of the National Assembly and control the presidency because our ultimate aim as we keep saying is to win the presidency and that will happen very soon.

“And it can only happen because of leaders like you. The unity you have demonstrated shows that the PDP is a very united political party. We are not like the other ones that are bickering all over the streets and I want us to continue in that spirit, so that next year, we’ll be at Eagle square on May 29, 2023.”

Submitting the report to the NWC,  Deputy Chairman of the committee. Ndudi Elumelu, said the committee was a bye-product of the NEC of the party and that only it could make the final decision.

Chairman of the committee, Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, was absent

Elumelu, who represented the 37-man zoning committee, said, “I am not by virtue of the terms of reference allowed to roll out the content of the resolution, because our job is to finish, submit and theirs to take decision. So, I believe it is the NEC that has the statutory rights to release the content of what we have done. So, I will officially on behalf of my colleagues make the presentation of submitting the report.

“I must say that it was unanimously carried and all the signatures of all the members of the zoning committee are there for you. One thing I also wanted to add that in Ekiti, Ayo Fayose disqualified himself, because of his interest in the presidential election, which I’ve also added in the report. Everything you’ve seen, is in accordance with the guidelines given to us by NEC to make and recommend.”

However, speaking with journalists after a closed door consultation meeting between his team of presidential aspirants and Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State in Umuobiakwa, Obingwa, the country home of the governor, Saraki said PDP needed to get things right before the presidential primary.

“If PDP wins, we all win, because we all are one,” he said, adding that, any process that would lead to salvaging the nation from bad leadership should activated.

He lamented the deluge of bloodletting across the nation due to the activities of terrorists, citing specifically the massacre of 135 persons in Plateau State, a few days ago.

This, Saraki noted, underscored the urgent need to join hands to retrieve Nigeria from the hands the ruling APC that has failed in all ramifications.

He acknowledged that, “it is a tough challenge” to agree on a consensus presidential candidate, but that, “We’re very determined” because the driving force is the need to move the country forward.

Saraki emphasised that picking a consensus candidate for the 2023 presidential poll would put PDP on a vantage position to win the election, stating that the four of them going round to canvass for consensus candidate had all agreed that it was the best way forward given its merits.

On the absence of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar from the team, Saraki said he has been fully briefed as a key stakeholder, and that he (Atiku) believed that this kind of arrangement (consensus) was in the interest of the nation”.

In his remarks, Ikpeazu said he remained hopeful of the eventual emergence of a new Nigerian nation that would work for everyone and lauded Saraki and his group for forming an alliance that would bind the interest of the country and encouraged all PDP presidential aspirants to come together in the interest of Nigeria.

“The survival of our country, the survival of the common man is what should be of utmost interest. We should at least form a common front,” he said.

In continuation of their push for a consensus, they’ve also met Governor of Bayelsa State, Governor Douye Diri; Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State.

Meanwhile, 15 presidential aspirants of the party have obtained their presidential nomination forms.

THISDAY was told that the PDP was worried by the number of party members, who has bought the forms.

A top party source claimed with the number of aspirants, the party had already generated N566 million revenue, but worried that the number was becoming very unwieldy to manage.

Last week, four presidential aspirants of the party, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim,  Peter Obi,  Nwachukwu Anakwenze and Sam Ohuabunwa met in Abuja, where they agreed to work together for the overall interest of the South east zone.

Those who had purchased the presidential nomination forms include Atiku Abubakar, Bukola Saraki, Anyim Pius Anyim, Bala Mohammed, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, a United States-based medical doctor, Nwachukwu Anakwenze, magazine publisher, Dele Momodu,  Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, Peter Obi,  Mrs. Oliver Teriala Diana, Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State and a pharmacist, Sam Ohuabunwa

The two latest presidential aspirants are Cosmos Ndukwe, who was Chief of staff to Abia State governor and former Deputy Speaker in the state.