Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom has dismissed reports that the city’s zoning committee Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), decided that the party’s presidential candidacy should remain open.
Ortom said the committee only adopted a unanimous position to be submitted to the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC).
The governor said so in a statement from his chief press secretary, Nathaniel Ikyur, on Wednesday.
However, the statement did not reveal what the panel recommended.
The governor’s comments come just 24 hours after some panel members revealed to reporters that the committee unanimously decided to open the ballot.
However, Ortom didn’t mention it either when he addressed reporters after the committee meeting on Tuesday.
“The committee will submit the report to NEC. The NEC has the final authority on the zoning of positions.
“As far as the committee is concerned, there were arguments that the presidential candidate should go to the South. While some said that he should go to the northern part of the country.
“There were others who were of the opinion that it should be opened up for the best candidate who can deliver good government and make Nigerians feel like human beings again.
“As chairman of the committee, we didn’t say that. So it is very wrong for someone to imply that we have opened the presidential ballot. I keep repeating that whatever we do, we have submitted our report to NEC. And as I said, NEC is the final authority to decide where this position will be zoned,” he said.
In the end, the main goal of the PDP is to bring the country’s economic and security situation back to normal, according to the statement.
While the party has yet to officially announce its position on the presidential ticket, more than 10 members have shown an interest in the ticket.
They include former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Governors Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State, and Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State.
Others are former Governors Peter Obi of Anambra State, Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State, former Senate President Pius Anyim and Bukola Saraki.
Others who have shown interest include Ovation magazine publisher Dele Momodu, renowned pharmacist Sam Ohuabunwa and former FSB International Bank PLC Chairman/CEO Mohammed Hayatu-Deen.
PDP national chairman Iyorchia Ayu inaugurated the 37-member committee on March 24 to work out a zoning formula acceptable to the party ahead of the 2023 elections.
Read the full Statement
ZONING: WE DON’T THROW OPEN PRESIDENTIAL TICKET, ORTOM
Benue State Governor and PDP Zoning Committee Chairman Samuel Ortom has dismissed media suggestions that the committee has opened the party’s presidential bid.
He insisted that the committee be cited for what it did not say.
The governor who uncovered his mind on Wednesday, April 6, 2022 while appearing on the ‘Morning Show,’ a primetime show on AriseTV, asked why those not part of the committee meeting would want to “force words into the mouth of the committee.”
The governor who scowled at the caption on the bulletin board for the duration of the interview joked, “I want to dispel the insinuation that the zoning committee has opened the presidential ballot. I did inform the media yesterday (Tuesday April 5, 2022) that the committee has adopted a unanimous position to be presented to the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party. Where did I say that the committee has opened the presidential ballot?
He argued that “The committee will present the report to NEC. It is NEC that has the final authority on position zoning.”
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He explained that “as far as the committee is concerned, there were arguments that the presidential candidate should go to the South. While some said that he should go to the northern part of the country. There were others who were of the opinion that it should be opened up for the best candidate who can deliver good government and make Nigerians feel like human beings again.”
He continued: “As the chairman of the committee, we did not say that. So it is very wrong for someone to imply that we have opened the presidential ballot. I keep repeating that whatever we do, we have submitted our report to NEC. So it’s wrong for the media to come up with a position even though they weren’t members of the committee.
“I went out to inform the media. So it’s completely wrong. I did not say that. And as I said, NEC is the final authority to decide where this position will be zoned.”
Gov. Ortom recalled that when party booths were being zoned ahead of the national convention, “NEC instructed us to zone these booths to do it correctly regardless of where the president would still come from. That when the time comes for the presidential election, the people will be given a mandate and the NEC will make a decision. That is what we have done.”
The governor then implored the media not to “crucify. Don’t kill us before you get the answer because PDP hasn’t filed a report, insisting, “NEC will do that.”
He said the party’s leadership is “consciously working to ensure the party does the right thing this time. I believe that, in the end, the right thing will be done”, emphasizing, however, that “annulling the work of the committee and the decision of the NEC is not correct. I want to appeal to the NEC to soon invite us to a meeting and then we can move forward from there,” the governor said.
Governor Ortom maintained that “At the end of the day, the most important thing for the PPD is what the party can do to bring the economic and security situation back to normal”, because “If nothing drastic is done about the current situation In the country, there will come a time when even the Presidential Villa and other government houses will be taken over by terrorists. They are already closing in on us and we seem helpless. Everyone must come together to fight for justice, fairness, and fairness,” he stated.
Nathaniel IkyurChief Press Secretary, April 6, 2022