PDP zones minority positions in Senate, House

The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has zoned minority offices it expects its members to occupy in the Senate and the House of Representatives.

National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh, stated this at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday.

Unlike the All Progressives Congress, he said his party would not pick individuals for the positions, but allow the officers to be appointed by their colleagues from their zones.

Metuh said the decision on the zoning was taken at the meeting of the members of the National Working Committee of the party held on Wednesday.

He said, 'concerning the National Assembly and the PDP positions, the National Working Committee today met and announced that in consonance with the provision of the Standing Rules of the National Assembly, we expect our members - being minority members - to use their various zonal party caucuses to chose party principal officers to enable us provide effective opposition in the Senate.

'The party will not choose leaders for our senators. We will zone the position and expect the senators to fill in the positions.

'We have directed them to note that in accordance with the practice and convention of our party, the nomination process should take into consideration ranking, gender and religious sensitivities.

'Furthermore, it is the wish of the NWC that this exercise be concluded within one week and communicated accordingly.'

In the Senate, the party has zoned the office of the Minority Leader to South-South, the position of the Minority Whip has been moved to North-Central, while the North-East and South-West will provide the Deputy Minority Leader and Deputy Minority Whip, respectively.

In the House of Representatives, Metuh said the PDP caucus in the chamber had already zoned the position of the Minority Leader to the South-South without informing the party.

He said the party had accepted the decision.
Metuh listed other offices as zoned by the party to include Minority Whip, which has been zoned to the North-West, Deputy Minority Leader to come from the South-East while the North-East will fill the position of the Deputy Minority Whip.