The political space was kept in suspense as to where the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will zone its presidential ticket ahead of the 2023 general election.
But the committee commissioned by the party to chart a course and guide it on where to search for a standard-bearer dashed hopes as it failed to be categorical in the declaration of its outcome
Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom who is the chairman of the Zoning Committee simply told anxious journalists at the end of the Committee’s meeting in Abuja on Tuesday that members have taken a position that was unanimous adding that the report will be submitted to the party leadership.
However, the recommendation of the committee got leaked to a section of the media indicating that the ticket has been thrown open.
In the recommendation sighted by The Trumpet, the committee said the PDP constitution affirmed zoning.
It however recommended that ‘Inspite of zoning arrangement, the ticket is thrown open, this time around due to exigency of time.
“Our party (PDP) is encouraged to always make the issue of zoning very clear at least 6 months before sales of forms.
“Our party (PDP) should commend the efforts of some of our contestants on the issue of consensus candidacy; the efforts should be seen to a peaceful and logical conclusion”.
But, the following day on AriseTV breakfast programme, the ‘Morning Show’, Ortom denied saying the committee recommended that the presidential ticket be thrown open. He described this as insinuations in the media. He insisted that the committee was being quoted on what it did not say.
The governor queried why those who were not part of the meeting of the committee would want to “force words into the committee’s mouth.”
His Chief Press Secretary, Nathaniel Ikyur in a statement said Ortom who frowned at the caption on the news bar while the interview lasted quipped: “I want to clear the insinuation that the zoning committee has thrown open the presidential ticket. I did inform the media yesterday (Tuesday, April 5, 2022) that the committee has adopted a unanimous position to be presented to the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party. Where did I say that the committee has thrown open the presidential ticket?”
He maintained that “the committee will present the report to NEC. It is NEC that has the final authority on the zoning of positions”.
He quoted the Governor saying “I came out to brief the media. So it is completely wrong. I did not say that. And like I said, NEC is the final authority on deciding where this position will be zoned to.”
He continued: “as the chairman of the committee, we did not say that. So it is very wrong for anyone to insinuate that we have thrown the presidential ticket open. I am still repeating that, whatever we did, we submitted our report to NEC. So it is wrong for the media to come out with a position even though they were not members of the committee.
The governor then implored the media not to, “crucify us. Don’t kill us before you get the answer because PDP has not brought up a report, insisting, “that will be done by NEC”.
Ortom’s reversal jolted many and raised curious questions as to why the frantic efforts at such rebuttal.
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The Benue governor was said to be under pressure by an interested party in the race who wanted what really transpired at the Committee’s meeting to be made known rather than a vague statement that gave room for speculation.
The Trumpet learnt that a powerful influencer who is very close to Ortom was enraged by a media report that the committee recommended an open contest. The aspirant has been a strong advocate of power rotation to the south
Even, it was further learnt that at the committee level, “there were arguments that the presidential ticket should go to the South. While some said it should go to the Northern part of the country. Others thought that it should be thrown open for the best candidate who will be able to deliver good governance.”
The Chief Press Secretary in his statement went further to say that Governor Ortom recalled that, when the party positions were being zoned before the national convention, “NEC directed us that in zoning these positions, go and do it right without minding where the president will come from yet. When the time comes for the presidential ticket, a mandate will be given to the people and NEC will take a decision. That is what we have done.”
To further confound the situation is the fact that the expectation is rife that the Ortom – led Committee must have submitted the report to the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party (PDP) which will either take a temporary decision on behalf of the National Executive Committee (NEC) or outrightly call NEC meeting to dissect the Committee’s recommendations.
It was expected that the NWC ought to make the receipt of the report public but there is no compulsion in it as the report might have been submitted unannounced.
A source told The Trumpet that “it is you journalists that are worried about this thing. Who told you that the report has not been submitted already. Political parties are not mandated to carry you media along on everything they do. They are not as worried as you are.
“Even if the report has not been submitted, is there any urgency in doing that?”
To further buttress this position, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Hon. Debo Ologunagba on a national television station confirmed that the report has not been received by the NWC.
If the report has not been submitted, then the party might be in a great dilemma as there is no indication of an extension of the timeframe given to the Zoning Committee. Also, it will be an absurdity for the committee to continue deliberating after officially concluding its assignment.
There is a sharp division on the broad acceptability of the Committee’s recommendations which may have necessitated its holding on to the report.
Pending the NEC meeting, it will be right to take to Ortom’s submission that “Pre-empting the committee’s work and NEC decision is not correct.”
