Aspirants back call for micro zoning of PDP chairman’s post

The call for micro zoning of various positions being contested for at the December 9 convention of the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) got a boost  as two aspirants from the north have maintained that micro zoning of major party positions should not be jettisoned because it has helped the party to stabilize.

National treasurer aspirant Aminu Bala said “Micro zoning has stabilised the party since inception. It was created by the founding fathers to allow people from all parts of the country to have access to political power. Macro zoning will not allow the major tribes to dominate the rest of the people.

“So, the practice over the years is that major positions are shared by the six geo – political zones. Even within the zones, positions are micro-zoned among states”, Bala said.

Deputy National Chairmanship aspirant, A.Y. Gombe said zoning had helped the PDP to stabilise and that it had helped the party to be truly national.

“Micro zoning is also important. Like I am from the North East and in our zone, Adamawa/Taraba will produce National vice chairman, Borno / Yobe go for National Auditor while Gombe / Bauchi will go for Deputy National Chairman.

“Since the party’s NEC said presidency is zoned to the North and the National Chairman is zoned to the South. The leaders in the South have to meet and zone the position to a particular zone if that has not been done, it should be done  before the convention”, he said.

It would be recalled that the decision of the party leaders to zone the position of National Chairman to South West and South South has been causing ripples with many chairmanship aspirants from the South West crying foul because last year, it was agreed that the South West should produce the National chairman wondering what has changed between then and now.

In another vein, Special Adviser on Political Matters to  a chairmanship aspirant Chief Olabode George has denied that Chief George has been removed as a member of the Board of Trustee (BoT) of the party because he is contesting for chairman.

Mr. Uthman Shodipe- Dosunmu in a statement said  there is no iota of truth in the rumour.

 He said  George is a life member of   PDP BoT because of the position he had held in the party as a  Deputy National Chairman adding that he remained a member of BoT despite his  contesting for the national chairmanship position.

He said though the  Chairman of PDP BoT, Alhaji Walid Jibrin  had refuted the  alleged removal of George, there is the need to clarify the issue

 “Members of BOTs of the party are not PDP party officers. Although, the interpretation of  section of the Constitution of PDP 2012 (as amended) did not define who a party officer is. However, Article 34 & 36 of the PDP Constitution created party offices. With exception of the Board of Trustee Chairman and Secretary who may be deemed as statutory party officers, all other members of the BoT are mere advisers of the party. See Article 32 (2) (a) of the PDO Constitution.

“There are two types of members of BoT, (1) Life members (according to article 32(1)(a-d)) and (2) periodic members selected according to article 23(1)(e-g) of the PDP Constitution. Let it be noted that life membership of BoT is not by election but through statutory privilege of having served in some capacities for the party officers previously. It is common principle of law that the need to resign from a position before contesting for another office or prohibiting the holding two offices only apply to party officers subject to elections.

“So,  Chief Olabode George as a member of BoT for life can contest for National Chairman without even resigning from his statutorily conferred privileged position of BoT life membership. He cannot even be barred by any organ not to contest; not even the BoT, NEC, NWC, Governors’ Forum, etc.

What BoT are to political parties and other Incorporated Trustees are what the shareholders are to the limited liability company. Being a shareholder of a liability company does not prevent you from contesting for company offices”, Shodipe- Dosunmu said.

The post Aspirants back call for micro zoning of PDP chairman’s post appeared first on The Nation Nigeria.