Ahead of its August 17, 2016 national convention, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has allocated 11 of its 21 party positions to the Northern region while the Southern region got 10.

This development comes just as the party’s caretaker committee yesterday, received the report of its zoning committee ‎which recommended 21 party positions to be contested for.
‎
Presenting the report, chairman of the zoning committee and Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, said the positions had been made open to every party member to occupy provided they sought positions reserved for their regions.

He said the committee resolved among others “that all positions should be keenly contested for among the major ‎ zones they are zoned to in order to allow for full participation of members.”

Explaining why the position of chairman was reserved for the south, Umahi said: “We resolved that the chairmanship be zoned to the southern zones bearing in mind that the presidential ticket of the party for 2019 was zoned to the north as approved by the National Convention in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on Saturday, May 21, 2016.”

The zoning committee equally recommended that the six National Vice Chairmen be included as members of the National Working Committee (NWC) while it encouraged the party to adopt a pattern of zoning by switching positions from North to South.

“Accordingly, we have recommended that 2016 party elective positions reserved for the North are: Deputy National Chairman (2); National Secretary; National Financial Secretary; National Publicity Secretary; National Auditor; National Woman Leader; Deputy National Treasurer; Deputy National Organising Secretary; Deputy National Youth Leader; Deputy National Legal Adviser and Deputy National Secretary.

“ For the South, the positions are: National Chairman; Deputy National Chairman (1); National Treasurer; National Legal Adviser; National Youth Leader; National Organising Secretary; Deputy National Publicity Secretary; Deputy National Woman Leader; Deputy National Auditor and Deputy National Financial Secretary.”