PDP members threaten parallel convention over 2019 zoning

– The PDP is facing crisis following the attempt to zone the party’s chairmanship position to the north
– Some members threatened parallel convention
– They claim the south west deserves the chairmanship position

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is struggling to keep the house united following a warning issued by some members of the party over the zoning of the party’s chairmanship position.

The party announced earlier ahead of its Saturday, May 21 convention that key positions of the party’s candidacy have been zoned with the north expected to produce the presidency and the south east to take the vice presidency position. The party also zoned the position of the party chairmanship to the south south but new reports suggest this might be changed to the north.


Vanguard reports that leading stakeholders of the party vowed to hold a parallel convention if the chairmanship position is zoned to the north. The disagreement reached its peak on Tuesday, April 19 when the meeting of the committee on the zoning of positions in the party was stalemated and adjourned indefinitely.

It was reported that associates of Senator Ali Modu Sheriff who is the chairman of the party was putting pressure on all to zone the position to the north east. Some members of the Board of Trustee were against the zoning of the chairmanship position to the north although it was reported some governors were in support.

The Governor Udom Emmanuel-led committee has been criticised for trying to make Sheriff retain the chairmanship position by wanting the north to get the chairmanship position which has put some members of the party at loggerhead.

A member of the board who spoke on the condition of anonymity said the attempt to favour Sheriff was apparent and they will fight against it as the south west deserved the chairmanship position.

“We are aware of the intrigues going on but we will not allow that to happen. We know that some governors, especially that of Ekiti State, are working hard to retain the zoning to the North-East.

“What he failed to understand is that the party took a decision long time ago to zone the Presidency to the North and the party chairman to the South-West. “How can the President and the party chairman come from the same zone? It is not going to work. We in the South-West are ready to take what belongs to us and we will not trade our right for a pot of porridge.”

Meanwhile, Governor Rochas Okorocha slammed the PDP over the zoning of the vice president position to the southeast in 2019.

According to him, the zoning is a Greek gift and a mockery of Ndigbo from the main opposition party as they were not given key position by the party for 16 years when they were in power.