2023: How Zoning Of PDP’s Chairmanship To North Signals Return Of Atiku, Northern Presidency

The development has been falsely calculated by many observers as an indication that the party is considering a power shift to the Southern region – this line of thought is far from the politics at play as gathered by TheNewsGuru (TNG).

Speaking with TNG under the condition of anonymity, an insider source disclosed how former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar backed by some Northern power brokers who are fixated on retaining power in the region elbowed the interest of southerners in securing full control of affairs in the PDP ahead of the 2023 presidential election.

The aforesaid power struggle born of the fear to protect the northern interest and seal Atiku’s return to contest for the presidency dashed hopes of the former Osun State governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, who was earlier tipped by bigwigs in the Southern region to replace embattled, Uche Secondus as the National Chairman of PDP.

“Ignore those who are interpreting zoning of PDP’s chairmanship to North as an indication that the presidency will be zoned to the South. The politics at play that brought this zoning pattern is one that tells more about party control and not about zoning as regards power shift.

“The northerners and those in Atiku’s circle are no longer convenient with the party being under the control of the southern region; one of the ways they intend to arrest their fear is to firstly take control of the party by securing the chairmanship position. The decision of who becomes the presidential candidate of the party (a northerner) is a matter they have set aside for another date .”

Asked how the party will survive with the chairman and presidential candidate coming from the same region, our source replied ‘a party chairman is expendable, he can be removed at the right time’

He cited President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s administration from 2007 to 2010, where PDP had southerners, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor; Dr Okwesilieze Nwodo who all took their shots at the job, before Haliru Mohammed, a northerner was brought in to balance the equation which marshaled Goodluck Jonathan’s victory in the 2011 election.

“If PDP picks a northern presidential candidate, it does stop them from removing anyone who is in the office as PDP chair to align with new realities. A party chair can easily be replaced for equity reasons when the need arise” He said.

Recall the Zoning Committee of the party headed by Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State had earlier said that his panel does not have the mandate to zone election positions such as the presidency.

The silence of the zoning committee on which zone is to produce the presidential candidate is a clear signal that the national hierarchy of the party has thrown the presidential contest open to all zones.

(THENEWSGURU)