President Jonathan, PDP meet over Zoning, New Cabinet

[TGD]

Members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday left the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) for Obudu, Cross River State to confer with President Goodluck Jonathan over the issue of zoning key Legislative,  political offices and appointment of new cabinet members.

Acting National Chairman of the party, Bello Mohammed, led the team. The party's National Secretary, Abubakar Baraje, who is out of the country, is expected to join them today in Obudu.

The Guardian gathered that the President and the NWC would deliberate on how to incorporate some members of the opposition into the new cabinet, tackle the raging controversy over zoning of key political posts, including the leadership of both chambers of the National Assembly, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), among others.

The meeting, according to sources within the party, will also discuss the modalities for choosing a new PDP chairman. It would determine whether it is still possible to elect a new chairman for the party or allow the acting national chairman to continue in office till next year when the PDP is expected to hold a national convention.

National Publicity Secretary, PDP, Prof. Rufai Ahmed Alkali, could not be reached for comments but a party source who spoke on condition of anonymity said: "the President and the leadership of the party will use the opportunity to address a lot of issues, including the raging controversy over zoning.''

In the heat of the debate over the zoning formula of the party, President Jonathan advised PDP faithful not to worry themselves over the issue, saying it would be resolved after the general elections.

In a related development, senators on the platform of the PDP would also meet today in Abuja to discuss the party's zoning arrangement.

The Guardian learnt that a ranking senator from the South-South would host the meeting tonight at his Apo Legislators' Quarters residence.

According to sources, the zoning issue has created schism among the senators, as some influential members of the PDP outside the National Assembly are trying to tele-guide some of the lawmakers.

At the meeting, which is a prelude to others, the senators are expected to take a position on zoning and transmit it to the leadership of the PDP.

The party's position is expected to be made public about two weeks before the inauguration of the next federal administration on May 29, 2011.

Currently, the Senate appears divided over the zoning issue.   While some senators are of the view that the Senate president should still come from the North Central and are pushing for the return of Senator David Mark, others are rooting for the out-going Governor of Gombe State, Danjuma Goje, who has been elected a senator.

A senator who spoke with The Guardian on condition of anonymity said most of his ranking want stability, hence their support for Mark. His words: "The position of most of us is that we want stability. Our democracy is getting stable now and we want to deepen it. The only way we can do that is to allow a system that is stable so that we don't start learning process all over again."

The Senate, which met yesterday, adjourned till next week Tuesday to allow members of five standing committees return from some assignments abroad.

Meanwhile, the apex Igbo socio-political organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has initiated moves to secure the Senate presidency for the South-East.

A source within the hierarchy of the organisation told The Guardian in Enugu that the group would not settle for anything less than the number three position in the country in view of the South-East's massive backing for President Jonathan in the presidential election.

Similarly, the Peoples Democratic Party Youths Vanguard (PDP-YV) in the North-East has alleged that the zone had been shortchanged in the process of sharing top federal posts.

Consequently, the PDP-YV said it was time the North-East produced the Senate President.

Speaking with The Guardian yesterday in Maiduguri, the Borno State, President, PDP-YV, Umar Ali Kaloma, stressed: "The current formula for the sharing of political offices has short-changed the North-East zone and should be urgently revisited, as it has existed for long, based on the realities of the Umaru Musa Yar'Adua Presidency."

The source stated that Ohanaeze regarded zoning the Senate Presidency to the South-East as "an appreciation from the PDP over the role we played to ensure hundred per cent support for the aspiration of President Jonathan", stressing that though the zone was PDP-dominated, the feat would have been impossible if left in the hands of the South-East governors.

The source added: "Our people would not have listened to the governors alone if there was no intervention from the Ohanaeze and that is why we insist that the number three position should be conceded to the South-East zone since we delivered as promised in the presidential election."

Aside the Senate presidency, the Ohanaeze also craves other juicy positions in the new federal cabinet, reasoning that though it is not a political party, it contributed immensely to the success of the PDP in the Presidential elections.

It was also gathered that a meeting of the body where the issues would be fine-tuned for onward transmission to the President would be held in Enugu after May 6, when the governorship elections would have been concluded in Imo State.

Secretary General, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nduka Eya, who spoke with The Guardian yesterday, stressed: "We are still consulting to fashion out a strategy on how to meet with the President on the issues bothering the zone. We however believe that it is payback time for our efforts but we cannot be talking at variance with one another. We have to sit and harmonise our views the same way we did before the election, so that whatever we decide shall be the view of Ndigbo.

"We cannot do this individually. We are embarking on consultations and we have the feeling that the President knows our desires and need not be reminded that we deserve whatever we request as a zone in support of his administration."

Source: Jonathan, PDP meet over zoning, new cabinet