By Lawrence Olaoye
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday officially ratified the zoning arrangement proposed by its outgoing National Working Committee (NWC) chaired by Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje.
Briefing newsmen after the party’s 59th National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, the national publicity secretary of the party, Prof. Rufai Ahmed Alkali said “As a prelude to the smooth conduct of the forthcoming national convention and in line with the provisions of the PDP constitution, NEC approved the zoning of offices for the National Working Committee”.
Alkali said the position of the national chairman of the party has been zoned to the North-East while those of the national secretary and national auditor were being ceded to the South-West.
The South/south zone is to produce the party’s deputy national chairman and the national financial secretary.
The national publicity secretary, deputy national secretary and national woman leader slots go to the South East zone while the North-West zone is to produce candidates for the position of the national organising secretary and national treasurer.
The slots of the national legal adviser and the national youth leader have been conceded to the North-Central zone in the forthcoming national congress of the party.
The NEC also received the report of the Constitution Amendment Committee chaired by the party’s legal adviser, Chief Olusola Oke. The recommendations of the committee were however referred to another special committee comprising of the President, Vice-President, six state governors, six members of the National Assembly, three former chairmen of the party’s Board of Trustees and six members of the National Working Committee.
According to Alkali, “The committee shall examine the constitutional amendment proposal and present a roadmap for the way forward.”
Asked for the details of the amendment done to the constitution as submitted by the panel, Alkali said it would be premature to disclose the details since the presidential committee is still expected to look into the document.
The party’s spokesman also declined to declare the present financial status of the party insisting that the NWC has yet to round off its administrative activities.
