Rejection of zoning, Jonathan’s adoption killed PDP – BoT chairman

AUGUST 19, 2015 :  OLUSOLA FABIYI, ABUJA
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The Acting Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party Board of
Trustees, Dr. Bello Mohammed, has opened up on what he
considered to have led to the near death of his party.
He said the death of zoning in 2011, destroyed the party, adding
that the issue was more compounded with the adoption of
former President Goodluck Jonathan as the sole presidential
candidate of the party in 2015.
Mohammed, who is a former Minister of Defence and Acting
National Chairman of the PDP, said this in a statement by his
Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Emeka Nwapa, in Abuja on
Wednesday.
He attributed the rapid decline in the fortunes of the party to the
abrogation of its policy of rotation and zoning in 2011.
He lamented that this aberration severely undermined the
principle of justice and equity on which the party was founded in
1998.
The BOT chairman added that the shameful defeat in the last
Presidential election was the sad price the party had to pay for
jettisoning its policy of rotation and zoning.
Mohammed, who noted that the shortcoming led to widespread
crises of confidence in the party, said the zoning policy was a
major attraction to the party, which offered all members equity,
justice and a sense of belonging.
Curiously though, it was Mohammed, who moved the motion for
the adoption of Jonathan as the sole presidential candidate of
the party during the last presidential election.
His motion was seconded by a former Governor of Anambra
State, Senator Jim Nwobodo.
Mohammed and other leaders of the party brushed aside every
efforts made to allow other presidential aspirants to contest the
party’s presidential primary with the former President.
But Mohammed said in the statement on Wednesday, “When the
founding fathers formed the party in 1998, they established the
principle of justice and equity, whereby, power resided with the
people, who could decide who became what at any point in
time.
“But overtime, the party swerved away and breached the
principle thereby disrupting its internal democracy.
“When in 2011, the party abandoned its zoning formula, the
party dealt itself a major blow because that action served the
first notice that it had disconnected with the masses. So, we
must go back to the culture of zoning and rotation of offices.
“The PDP remains the only true national party in the country
with its flag in all nooks and crannies, whose members are
assured that they can always aspire to any available position as
long as zoning and rotation hold sway as a cardinal policy of the
party.”