SaharaReporters has learned that many prominent members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) today refused to attend its meeting in Abuja.
Their anger was in response to the zoning of national offices in the party.
The zoning arrangement, announced today by the Chairman of the Zoning Committee, Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel, will return National Party Chair Ali Modu Sheriff into his position on May 21st.
May 21st is the scheduled date of the PDP National Convention in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The zoning arrangements are as follows:
i. National Chairman-North-East
ii. Deputy National Chairman-South-South
iii. National Secretary-South-West
iv. Deputy National Secretary-North-Central
v. National Legal Adviser-North-West
vi. Deputy National Legal Adviser-South-South
vii. National Treasurer-South-South
viii. Deputy National Treasurer-North-West
ix. National Financial Secretary-North-Central
x. Deputy National Financial Sec.-South-East
xi. National Woman Leader-North-West
xii. Deputy National Woman Leader-South-South
xiii. National Auditor-South-West
xiv. Deputy National Auditor-North-East
xv. National Publicity Secretary-South-West
xvi. Deputy National Publicity Sec.-North-Central
xvii. National Organizing Secretary-South-East
xviii. Deputy National Organizing Sec.-North-Central
xix. National Youth Leader-South- East
xix. Deputy National Youth Leader-North-West
The majority of members of the PDP Board of Trustees and and its other Party organs also refused to attend the NEC meeting. Mr. Sheriff claimed that he only learned about the meeting on Wednesday night.
By the Party's constitution, he's the one that calls for meetings.
Walid Jibrin, the acting Chairman of the BOT and its Secretary, was hurriedly drafted to the meeting.
He said it was sad that the Board was excluded from the meeting, but appealed to its members not to be angry.
He also regretted the non-holding of the meeting of the Board before the NEC meeting.
He said, "The exclusion of the BOT is not deliberate and I appeal to all members of the BOT that they should not take offence that there was no any meeting of the BOT.
"We will have another meeting after this one.
"We are very aware of various meetings everywhere, I have decided that I will not attend any meeting apart from the properly organized meetings because we have to be very careful in the way we hold meetings this days.
"Anyway, we have to use these meetings positively in a way that they will benefit the party.
"Many of us who are founding members of the PDP will not leave the PDP and the PDP will never die. We will continue to be in PDP whatever mistake is there we might be there to correct it and make our contribution. Leaving PDP is not the answer, I will like to appeal to everyone who intends to leave the PDP should stop that, we must unite and all work together in order to build PDP.
"Every party has its own problems and we should use our own problems positively. Am sure soon the whole problem in PDP will be resolved."