PDP zoning panel under massive pressure

•May move chairmanship to North-west

The PDP zoning committee is under pressure to alter its zoning arrangement and move the office of national chairman, already zoned to the North East to another geo-political zone.
Daily Sun investigation indicated that following threats by certain stakeholders  of the party to conduct a parallel national convention to stop the incumbent national chairman, Senator Ali Modu  Sheriff from retaining the office, the zoning committee, led by  Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, may move the position to the North West geopolitical zone.
The governors were also disturbed by threats by sizeable number of  PDP federal lawmakers to move enmasse to the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) if Senator Sheriff returns to Wadata Plaza as national chairman after May 21.
It was also gathered that the meeting of the zoning committee, scheduled to hold last night at Transcorp  Hilton Hotel in Abuja, was aborted as the governors abandoned other members of the committee inside the Lagos Hall and moved to the Ondo State Government Lodge in Asokoro for a separate meeting.
Sighted with Emmanuel, leaving the hotel last night for the other venue were: Ifeanyi Okowa; Ben Ayade and Olusegun Mimiko, governors of Delta, Cross Rivers and Ondo states, respectively.
The intial zoning formula which would have been  presented  to the party›s National Executive Committee (NEC) for ratification,  the office of national chairman, deputy national chairman, national secretary and national organising secretary have been zoned to the North Eest South south, south-west and south-east, respectively.
Those smarting for a showdown with the zoning committee have claimed that the zoning arrangement was an orchestrated plot to allow Senator Sheriff, his deputy, Uche Secondus and the incumbent national secretary of the party, Professor Wale Oladipo return to the national secretariat after next month’s convention, as they noted that the various offices have been zoned to their respective geo-political zones.