Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and leaders of the party have reportedly zoned the Senate Presidency to the South-West in a bid to garner support for the party’s presidential candidate.
In a new power-sharing deal, Atiku agreed that the region should produce the next Senate President, while the South-East should get the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF.
“To give further bite for a possible inroad into the southeast, the position of Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) has been zoned to the region,” a former member of the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) disclosed.
The source expressed worry over the decision of Governor Nyesom Wike’s group to pull out of Atiku’s presidential campaign and the return of the ‘housing allowance’ given to some members of the PDP NWC.
He said “To say that the issues are not disturbing is to be delusional; the coincidence was shocking and meant to destabilise us but we will overcome.
“The national chairman had to cut short his medical leave and return so that the issues could be addressed because the development has really affected the southwest more.
“And quite frankly, Ayu, our presidential candidate, and a few others have met over the weekend to review earlier power equations and permutations in order to strengthen weak areas.”
The sour e stated that Atiku and the PDP leaders had earlier zoned the SGF to the Southwest and the Speakership to the southeast.
“But from all indications, the southeast power brokers within the party are more interested in the position of the SGF.
“Incidentally, those of us who believe in the Atiku Presidency is of the opinion that the party must review its earlier stance of zoning the senate president slot to the northwest,” he said.
He added that “So at it is now, it is the southwest that will produce the next senate president because the earlier position of northwest would have empowered a section too much; there must be balance.”
