The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party has fixed December 9 this year for its national convention, where national officers are to be elected, Punch reports.
Investigations by our correspondent showed that the leadership of the organs of the party had been informed about the date, which is said to have been accepted.
However, it was learnt that the meeting of the National Executive Committee of the party would be called to ratify the date and the agenda for the convention.
Our correspondent learnt that the party was still consulting on when the NEC meeting would hold.
A top member of the party, who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity, said, “The party has fixed December 9 for the national convention. The convention will be used to elect new national officers of the party and also be used to ratify the party’s new constitution.
“The constitution will take effect immediately after the ratification and will be binding on all members including those being expected to join us from other political parties.”
The top source said copies of the expected amendment had been distributed to members of the party and its leaders in the country.
The convention, it was further learnt, would be used to solidify the zoning of the party’s presidential ticket to the North.
However, our correspondent learnt that there were contending forces within the party who had been pressurising the party to compel its governors from the South to allow all contestants interested in the office of the national chairman vie for it at the convention.
In order to achieve this, some power brokers were also said to be mounting pressure on the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee to set up a new zoning committee.
The former governor of Kaduna State was however said to have rebuffed the pressure, which if granted, is considered to be capable of causing fresh crisis in the party.
Makarfi however told our correspondent on Sunday that the caretaker committee would not bow to such pressure.
This implies that the last zoning, which was handled by the Governor of Ebonyi State, Mr. Dave Umahi, will be used by the party.
“Now new zoning,” Makarfi said in a terse text message to our correspondent, but was silent on other inquiries.
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