NO SOUTHERN PRESIDENT IN 2011

No Southern president in 2011 -Ogbulafor
From TAIWO AMODU, Abuja
Wednesday, March 3 , 2010


Ogbulafor

National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Vincent Ogbulafor yesterday foreclosed the presidency moving to the South next year. Ogbulafor gave the hint, while speaking with journalists after a meeting between the party's National Working Committee (NWC) and PDP governors in Abuja.

'We discussed zoning formula with the governors. The South had presidency for eight years. It is fair and just that the North also keep it for eight years,' Ogbulafor said. The PDP chairman's statement implied that in the event that ailing President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua cannot return to office, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan who is acting president would not be able to aspire to rule the nation on the party's ticket in next year's general elections.

Ahead of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting holding today, the PDP leadership, governors and other stakeholders held series of meetings on the way out of the leadership crisis, which persisted with the return of President Yar'Adua to the country from Saudi Arabia where he had spent the last three months attending to his health.

Prince Ogbulafor had led nine out of 12 members of the NWC to the meeting with the PDP governors. Before the session with the governors, the NWC members had held an elaborate meeting at the party's Wadata House national secretariat in Abuja.

Other members of the NWC that attended the PDP governors meeting with Ogbulafor were: Prof. Rufai Ahmed Alkali, Hajiya Inna Ciroma, Dr. Musa Babayo, Dr. Sam Ortom, Uche Secondus, Olusola Oke, Tukur Mani and Muyiwa Collins.

While the meeting of the PDP governors and NWC members was going on, some ministers were waiting in one of the guest rooms at the Kwara State Governor Lodge, venue of the meeting.

They included Petroleum Minister, Dr. Rilwanu Lukman, Finance Minister, Dr. Mansur Mukhtar, Minister of State for Power, Nuhu Wya and Minister of State for Petroleum, Odein Ajumogobia.

Before meeting with the PDP leadership, the 22 PDP state governors had had another meeting which was followed by another session involving the 36 governors.

After the governors Meeting, journalists were expecting to be briefed, but the Oyo State Governor, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala who came out of the venue after the Governor of Borno State, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff shouted 'no communiqué, no communiqué.'

But the Chairman of the Governors Forum and Governor of Kwara State, Dr. Bukola Saraki told the newsmen that the governors would speak after meeting with the Acting President at the Aso Rock Villa. The meeting with the Acting President was slated for 8: 00pm.