Senator Makarfi : recognised by INEC

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Zoning Committee, on Tuesday in Abuja, released the zoning arrangements of the 21 available positions between the North and the South.

The report was presented by Gov. Dave Umahi, who headed the Zoning Committee, to the party National Caretaker Committee, led by Sen. Ahmed Makarfi.

The positions zoned to the North were: Deputy National Chairman 2, National Secretary, National Financial Secretary, National Publicity Secretary, National Auditor and National Woman Leader.

Others were: Deputy National Treasurer, Deputy National Organising Secretary, Deputy National Youth Leader, Deputy National Legal Adviser and Deputy National Secretary.

The South got the positions of National Chairman, Deputy National Chairman 1,National Treasurer, National Legal Adviser, National Youth Leader and National Organising Secretary.

Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Deputy National Woman Leader, Deputy National Auditor and Deputy National Financial Secretary, were also zoned to the South.

Umahi, while presenting his report, said: After robust deliberations on proposals presented by members, the committee proposed that all positions should be keenly contested for among the major zones they are zoned to.

“This will open the space and allow for full participation of members.

“That the chairmanship of the party be zoned to the Southern zone bearing in mind that the presidential ticket of the party for 2019 was zoned to the Northern zone.

“This is as was approved by the National Convention in Port Harcourt, Rivers on Saturday, May 21, 2016.

In his remarks, Secretary of the Caretaker Committee, Ben Obi, who received the report on behalf of the chairman, commended the committee for timely completion of their assignment.

He noted that even though the zoning committee was given seven days to submit its report, the report was submitted before the expiration of the one week given.

“This is the new spirit in PDP. When you want to re-brand, your action must speak louder than your voice.

“We assure that justice will be done to the submission, and at the end of the day, you will be happy that you’ve done for the party and for your country a good job.’’

Meanwhile, the  Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has recognised Sen. Ahmed Makarfi as the Acting National Chairman PDP.

This is contained in a statement issued by Mr Nick Dazang, INEC’s Deputy Director, Voter Education and Publicity, on Tuesday in Abuja.

He said INEC ratified the administrative approval granted Makarfi, based on the judgment of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt.

Dazang said the ratification was in line with INEC’s Decision Extract, issued on July 14, 2016 and signed by the Director, Commission’s Secretariat, Mr Ishiaku Gali.

He said INEC would recognise the National Caretaker’s activities such as the conduct of primaries of political officers and submission of the plaintiff’s list of the candidate for any election to be conducted by INEC.

“Two weeks ago, the commission received the candidate forwarded to it by the Sen. Ahmed Makarfi-led faction of the PDP, which had earlier secured an order from the Port Harcourt High Court,’’ he added. (NAN)

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