PDP: Sheriff Rallies G-84 Over Chairmanship, As NEC Meets Thursday
G-84, a major political block in the PDP is membered by 36 state chairmen, ex-officios, deputy national officers and the zonal vice chairmen of the party. They are also members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of PDP, the second major decision organ of the party.
This comes as the zoning committee of the Party headed by the Akwa-Ibom State Governor, Emmanuel Udom will today reconvene in Uyo to take a final decision on the contentious zoning formula which will be presented to the party’s NEC for ratification next Thursday.
The zoning committee had tentatively zoned the national chairmanship of the party ahead of the convention to the North East.
The committee was however forced to reschedule another meeting this week in Uyo, the capital of Akwa Ibom following the backlash that trailed the recommendation.
However, Sheriff, who was said to have made his intention known to G84 group when reportedly met with them in Abuja on Sunday night,.
A member of the G84, who pleaded anonymity, had informed LEADERSHIP that Sheriff who had thanked the group for supporting his emergence as national chairman in February this year, further charged them to support for him again at the national convention.
“He called us to seek our support to contest for the party’s national chairman position if it is eventually zone to North-east”. He asked us, as G84, to support whatever the Zoning Committee presents at the proposed NEC meeting” the source said.
The source added that the National Chairman, had noted that he has the support of all the governors except one which he didn’t disclose to them.
“He said the majority of PDP leaders are with him in the bid to retain the position till 2019” the source added.
However, it was learnt that there was a slight drama during the meeting when the South-West members in attendance differed on whether or not the National Chairmanship should be zoned to the North-East or South-West
It was learnt that the South West faction led by Senator Buruji Kashamu, and coordinated by the Chairman of the Ogun State Chapter of the Party, Bayo Dayo, claimed that those agitating for the South-West National Chairmanship are minority.
This was however countered by his Lagos State counterpart Capt.Tunji Shelle, who told him that Buruji is just one of the leaders of the party in the zone, and not the sole leader.
Sheriff was said to have quickly intervened by calming the sparring sides.
While most governors of the party backed the zoning of the position to the North East, some party leaders in the South West have maintained a strong opposition to the North retaining the national chairmanship seat by arguing that the presidency has been zoned to the region.
Some South West Party members, led by Bode George, met last week and insisted that the next leader of PDP must come from the South West.
They opposed the position of Senator Buruji Kashamu-led South West leaders who had earlier visited Sheriff at the party’s national headquarters in Abuja to canvass the retention of the chairmanship position in the North-east.
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