By Okey Ndiribe,Asst. Pol. Editor
LAGOS—THE debate over the controversial zoning principle, took a new twist, yesterday, with several prominent political leaders in the South-east advocating that the Presidency be zoned to the South-East in 2015.

Some of the South East leaders who spoke to Vanguard, anchored their position on the fact that the Constitution of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, which provides for zoning, did not stipulate that it must rotate between the North and the South.

Former Governor of old Anambra State, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, in his contribution to the debate, observed that the only two zones that had never produced a head of government in the country were the South South and South East zones.

Ezeife said that though President Goodluck Jonathan presently enjoyed overwhelming support in the South East zone, there was need for him to reach an agreement with leaders of the zone to get their full support for next year’s election.

The former governor who said that the President enjoyed 85 percent support in the zone, noted that there was need for him to assure Ndigbo that the Presidency would be zoned to the South East in 2015.

Ezeife who noted that so far, no group in the South East had declared its opposition against President Jonathan for next year’s poll added that the Igbos had also rejected the vice-presidency slot.

He said: “The accusation of sell-out from some quarters does not hold water because there cannot be an agreement without negotiation.”

Former Deputy Governor of Abia State and PDP senator for Abia South Senatorial District,  Enyinna Abaribe, who spoke in a similar vein in a telephone interview with Vanguard, observed that the South West and the North West had taken their turns at the presidency.

He asked rhetorically: “Now that the South South is going to have its turn, what about the remaining zones? You have  the North East and the South East. The Presidency should go to the South East after the turn of the South South. I also buy the idea earlier suggested by The Patriots that we should do a constitutional review to reduce the tenure of the Presidency to five years. This would ensure that every zone gets its own turn.”

In response to a question concerning the interpretation of the zoning principle among some northern PDP leaders, Abaribe said: ”That is their own interpretation. I believe that everybody in PDP cannot hold the same position; that would not be democracy again. People must always have different opinions. What would happen is that the majority would carry the day and this would be demonstrated during the party’s primaries.

If we go to the primaries, it is the majority that would decide  which way it  would go.”

On recent overtures to some South East political groups by northern political leaders, Abaribe said: “That is what democracy is all about; different groups have to move out to canvass their views. You have to go out, meet with people, present your position and try to convince others to buy your own point of view.

If you convince them to accept your own point of view, it means you would have your own view prevailing. What matters most is that we would have to talk about everything and in talking about everything, we would then take the best position that is in the best interest for the country.”

Abaribe said he was in support of the position of the South East Governors Forum that the support of the zone would be determined by what each of the presidential aspirants had to offer to the Igbos.

Said he: “You cannot give anybody blanket support. So, I agree with them. Anybody who wants to get something from the South East must be able to offer the zone something. Your support must be based on what the aspirant has to offer  the zone.

In any case the people of other zones are being offered one thing or the other; offers are being made to the South West and to the North, therefore the Igbos cannot be an exception to that rule. It is not good for the South East to be seen as a zone where you can get something without giving anything in return. Politics is quid pro quo; you offer me something and I will also offer you something in return.”