2023: Nobody can tamper with zoning formula in Niger- PDP Chairman

As part of efforts to maintain the zoning formula in Niger state, the Peoples Democratic Party in the state, has vowed that “anyone who tries to change it will meet thick walls.

While addressing journalists at a briefing whether the party will renege on the zoning formula adopted years back for the 2023 Governorship and other elections, the newly sworn in Chairman of PDP in the state, Barrister Tanko Beji, told Journalists that the idea is to carry the three Senatorial Zones along so that no tribe is marginalised in the state.

He also made it clear that PDP in Niger State is one and not factionalized as insinuated in some quarters.

According to him “nothing can tear us apart. The zoning system has come to stay. We are still going to use it for the 2023 governorship election and Zone “A” is already warming up for the governorship slot.

“Nobody can break the zoning system. Anybody that wants to break it will meet a brick wall and we will stand on our feet to see it implemented for a rancor-free election because every zone will have a taste of it when the time comes”.

Barrister Beji said the crisis witnessed in the party in the state for 17 months has not in any way thorn the party apart but has only succeeded in reuniting the members.

Accordingly, he said “the 17 months crisis witnessed which delayed our Congress from being held was an internal problem and it is now over. We are not factionalized. Over 2,300 delegates from the 274 wards came en masse to vote even in the torrential rainfall without any rancour.

“However in a contest like this, you cannot expect those who lost not to cry out. So far, there is no factional party secretariat, there was no factional Congress, no factional Chairman in the state.

He however said the party will set up  a committee to tour all the 25 local government areas of the state to go and reconcile any aggrieved members in order to forge ahead as one body towards 2023 general elections.

According to him, “the ground is very fertile enough for us to take back power from the present state administration and this is why we have to work as one body to actualize our dream”.