South West PDP leaders demand respect for Port Harcourt zoning agreement

Leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party from across the six states of the South West zone of the country on Thursday rose from an emergency meeting in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, demanding strict adherence and respect to the zoning agreement reached at the Port Harcourt, Rivers State meeting of the party.
The PDP elders were unequivocal that the only thing that can make the party relaunch itself fully ahead of the 2019 elections was to uphold the Port Harcourt zoning decision, which conceded National Chairmanship of the party to the South West.
They have therefore urged all organs of the party and members across the nation to support their aspiration, adding that since the formation of the party in 1998, no person from the region has been the national chairman of the party.
The zonal chairman reeled out former National Chairmen of PDP from 1998 till date and regretted that the zone had never been granted the opportunity to steer the ship of the party despite its contributions to it at the formative years till date.
They noted that the decision reached in Port Harcourt on May 21, 2016 during the party’s National Convention conceded the chairmanship of the party to the region, hence there is the need to stick to the decision.
The leaders, who noted that since 1998 about 12 people from other geopolitical zones have headed the party, insisted that it is the turn of South West, which is the only region that has not produced chairman of the party.
They however declared that for the party to boost its efforts in membership drive and support base in the region, there is a need for the region to produce the number one person in the erstwhile ruling party.
The Zonal Chairman of the party, Dr. Eddy Olafeso, who read the communique issued after the meeting, urged the National Caretaker Committee of the party and other zonal leaders across the country to, in the interest of fairness to the region, allow them to produce the chairman of the party.
The communique further reads: “Recalling that since inception in 1998 till date, our party has had twelve (12) National Chairmen in the following persons namely Dr. Alex Ekwueme, Chief Solomon Lar, Chief Barnabas Gemade, Chief Audu Ogeh, Senator Ahmadu Alli, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor, Dr. Okwusileze Nwodo, Dr. Haliru Mohammed, Alhaji Kawu Baraje, Dr. Bamanga Tukur, Dr. Adamu Muazu, Prince Uche Secondus (Acting Chairman) and Senator Ahmed Makarfi (National Caretaker Committee Chairman).
“Noting that since the inception of the PDP in 1998, it is only the South West out of the six geo-political zones that has not held the position of the National Chairman despite the historic contributions of the zone to the development of the party.
“Recalling that at the May 21st National Convention of the party held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State in which the Senator Ahmed Makarfi led National Caretaker Committee was set up and established, that the National Chairmanship position was conceded to the South West consequent upon the speech of Dr. Peter Odili, the former governor of Rivers State.
“Realising that the position of the National Chairman of the party in the South West would boost efforts at membership drive of the party and party support base.
“Recognising that the South West has consistently demonstrated capacity for swing votes historically from 1999 till date in all general elections.
“Now at the end of the meeting, the PDP South West leaders forum hereby resolved: To urge the party on the basis of the above premises to uphold the Port Harcourt decision zoning the National Chairmanship position of our great party to the South West.”
Present at the meeting were Prof. Taoheed Adedoja, Chief Olabode George, Otunba Iyiola Omisore, Senator Ademola Adeleke, Femi Babalola, Seyi Makinde, Chief Sarafadeen Abiodun Alli, Hon. Tunde Akogun, Hon. Demola Ojo, and Prof. Yemi Farounbi.
Others were Bunmi Jenyo, Alhaja Salmatu Badru, Alhaji Yekini Adeojo, Alhaji Jelili Adesiyan, Hon. Mulikat Adeola Akande, Chief Sarafadeen Ishola, Dr. Saka Balogun, Senator Robert Koleosho, Alhaji Titi Oseni and Alhaji Tajudeen Oladipo.