By Henry Umoru, Abuja

The inside story of the PDP NEC meeting where the contentious  issue of the zoning of presidency was resolved.
It will not be an exaggeration to say the PDP was on the precipice these last two weeks. The threats, the speculations, the intrigues and the nocturnal meetings did little to give hope that the party would come out in one piece by the time the issue of zoning would have been thrashed out last Tuesday.

Miraculously, it did with many Nigerians still confused about the current interpretation of the party’s decision on zoning. Perhaps it is all about postponing the evil day.

The  D-day for the meeting came and all roads led to Wadata Plaza, the national secretariat of the party.  The atmosphere in and around the secretariat was tensed that one  would mistake the place for a war zone. There was a  heavy presence of armed military personnel and other security operatives.  The operatives  made it difficult for people to enter unless you had  business going there. People allowed in were searched by the Presidential Villa State Security Service operatives.

Even for  accredited journalists, it was hectic for them  to find their way in; it was like that was the first NEC meeting ever held by the party.  Yet, it was the 52nd NEC meeting.

* Nwodo, PDP Chairman

By 9 a.m.,  members of NEC started arriving for the meeting. Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo arrived the Conference Hall, venue of the meeting at 1.15 p.m., while President Goodluck Jonathan came in around 1.35. The meeting commenced  with an opening prayer by former governor of old Bendel State, Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia.  After that, the national chairman, Dr. Nwodo, read his address followed by Jonathan who formally declared the meeting open as the leader of the party.

Thereafter, journalists were asked to leave the hall.  After clearing the hall, members of NEC went into a closed door session and came out at 6.30 p.m.

It was gathered that immediately after  Nwodo made his presentation on very critical issues that should be discussed – like the proposed amendments to the PDP’s constitution, requests for waivers from state party members, reforms in the party, mid  term convention, special convention, zoning, among others – the floor was  opened for discussion, and the meeting became stormy, especially when the issue of  zoning and  on-line registration of party members  were raised.

At the end of the meeting, the PDP  NEC ratified the decision of the Board of Trustees, BoT, the PDP caucus and its extended caucus to retain the zoning and rotation arrangement of the party,  just as it said the president could vie in  the 2011 presidential election. Though, they agreed that Jonathan could  contest,  the major setback for him in the present political scenario is that the contest is open to all irrespective of where the person comes from – what an ambiguous and most confusing decision by a party.

But while defending itself, the PDP NEC said it became imperative for him to come out for the 2011 election against the backdrop that he was rounding off the late President Umaru Yar’Adua/Jonathan’s ticket.

The  NEC  members agreed that zoning and rotation must remain in the best interest of the country at this level of development in line with the party’s constitution, just as they said that other persons could  contest for the presidency at the  primaries like what happened in 2003 when the  late Abubakar Rimi contested against former President Olusegun Obasanjo and  in 2007 when   Dr. Peter Odili, Donald Duke, Victor Attah, Admiral Mike Okhai Akhigbe, among  others, came out to slug  it out with  Yar’Adua.

According to the members of NEC,  Jonathan should contest and stay till 2015, because the present ticket is a continuation of Yar’Adua’s own.

It was learnt that  when the issue came up for discussion at the meeting,  the motion for the adoption of zoning and rotation staying in the party was moved by the Katsina State governor and seconded by former BoT chairman, Chief Tony Anenih.

After resolving  the zoning imbroglio, the  NEC members were confronted with  the online registration problem.

Before it was rejected,  it was gathered that some PDP big wigs at the meeting,  including Governors  Gabriel Suswan of Benue, Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta and that of Bayelsa, Timipre Sylva,  spoke against the project  for over one hour, saying  those in the rural areas may not be able to afford the N1,200 fee for the registration  and also considering the time frame when the party is preparing for election, the project may not be possible. Other governors reportedly supported their colleagues. Beyond rejecting  the Nwodo project,  the governors used the opportunity  to stamp their strengths ahead of other salient issues coming up.

The governor of Niger State, Mauzu Babaginda  Aliyu, was said to have  advised the PDP chairman to note that there was a limit to  which he could go in his reforms and comments against the backdrop that he was not yet ratified at the party’s national or special convention, adding that the entire reforms be suspended.  He  added that though the constitution does not recognize acting, the chairman was acting until the ratification at convention.

Even when leaders of the party tried to defend the online registration project that it could work as a pilot scheme and be made to go side by side with the current mode of registration, the arguments  did not save the online registration project   which  led to the Kwara State governor, Dr. Bukola Saraki,  moving a motion for the project to rest and seconded by one of the PDP chairmen from the south west and the project was finally suspended.

When Nwodo brought up the issue  of waivers, it was also discussed for one hour and,  at the end of the day, the governor of Abia State, Theodore Orji, Senator Uche Chukumerijie, among others, were granted waivers.

One significant  thing about the meeting was that the governors were said to have  spoken  out their minds at the NEC meeting and they had it.  Even when the issue of dissolution of state executive committees came up, it was  gathered that the governors and state chairmen said the National Working Committee, NWC, of the PDP  does not have the constitutional right to sack the  state organ;  rather the issue must be referred to NEC.

Now that the PDP has maintained its Article 7.2(c) which says, “in pursuance of the principles of equity, justice and fairness, the Party shall adhere to the policy of rotation and zoning of Party and public elective offices and it shall be enforced by the appropriate executive committee at all levels”, one would watch as events unfold especially ahead of the party’s guidelines, mini/ special convention, amendment of relevant sections of the constitution with regard to Article 12.17, Article 12.40 and Articles 12.84 which confer status of automatic delegates on ministers, chairmen of boards, commissioners, special advisers and special assistants to party congresses and national conventions.

Roll call
* President Goodluck Jonathan
* Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo
* Senate President David Mark
* Speaker Dimeji Bankole
* Dr. Alex Ekwueme
* Alhaji Ibrahim Mantu
* Chief Barnabas Gemade
* Dr. Amadu Ali
* Prince Vincent Eze Ogbulafor
*  Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia
* Chief Tony Anenih
* Chief Ebenezer Babatope
* Professor Jerry Gana
* Adamu Hassan
* Senator Walid Jibrin
* Senator Stella Omu
* Major-General Mohammadu Magoro (Rtd)
* Senator Abubakar Sodangi
* Shuaibu Oyedokun
* Nana Aisha Kadiri
* Yekini Adeojo
* Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu
* Kassim Ibrahim Imam
* Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta
* Governor Muazu Babaginda Aliyu of Niger
* Christopher Alao-Akala of Oyo
* Mallam Isa Yuguda of Bauchi
* Godswill Akpabio of AkwaIbom
* Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers
* Liyel Imoke of Cross River
* Sullivan Chime of Enugu
* Bukola Saraki of Kwara
* Saidu Dakingari of Kebbi
* Ibrahim Shema of Katsina
* Danjuma Goje of Gombe
* Segun Oni of Ekiti
* Timipre Sylva of Bayelsa
* Olagunsoye Oyinlola of Osun
* Aliyu Shinkafi of Zamfara
* Gbenga Daniel of Ogun
* Martin Elechi of Ebonyi
* Sule Lamido of Jigawa
* Akwe Doma of Nasarawa
* Murtala Nyako of Adamawa
* Deputy governor of Kaduna, Ramallan Yero
* Deputy governor Paullen Tallen of Plateau
* Hajia Hauwa Kida
* Mrs Christy Silas
* Hajia Rabi Murktar Mohammed
* Senator Nicholas Ugbane
* Senator Osita Izunaso
* Senator Lee Maeba
* Garba Matazu
* Farouk Lawal
* Ataii Idoko,
* Chief Solomon Lar
* Senator Ike Ekweremadu, Deputy Senate President