The 37-man committee set up by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to provide solution to the zoning crisis in the party is set to jettison rotation policy and declare the presidential race open.
Some members of the committee separately told newsmen that they have reached what they tagged “midcourse solution” on the matter.
The party at its 95th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held on March 16, resolved to set up the zoning committee charge with responsibility of resolving the impasse.
The committee, headed by the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has its membership selected across the country including three sitting governors, 12 former governors, former ministers and lawmakers.
At the meeting which lasted about three hours on Tuesday, the majority of the committee members pushed for the jettisoning of zoning to allow contestants to bustle for the ticket without recourse to which part of the country they came.
A member of the committee from the North said more than half of the committee members have accepted zero zoning arrangement to enable all aspirants to take part in the primary election of the party.
The founding member of the party who plead anonymity said that it has been resolved that no member of the committee should speak to the press, adding that resolution of the party would be made public after their meeting on Tuesday.
“It is too late to stop aspirants from contesting and because our ultimate goal is to win; the majority of us have agreed that the race be thrown open to all. We are going for a zero-zoning arrangement.
“The polity of today requires a national leader that is going to reinvigorate the cohesion and unity of the country. What Nigeria needs is not a zonal president, what we need is a Nigerian president. And, therefore, we are throwing it (contest) open,” he said.
The source further said that all members of the zoning committee whom he described as 70 per cent original members of the party from beginning were “on the same page.”
“We are looking for a mid-course solution and we are very hopeful this would be achieved on Tuesday next week,” the party leader said.
The source added: “Everybody is on the same page thinking we have to move forward. At the next meeting on Tuesday, I’m sure we will come up with a mid-course; we would have a solution to it.
“We told ourselves some serious home truth and come to a solution. We are very positive that there would be a solution. Everybody should bury his personal ambition.”
