One of the candidates seeking to emerge as national chairman of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, Raymond Dokpesi, has vowed not to withdraw from the race despite the position having been zoned to the South West geoppolitical zone.
Mr. Dokpesi was reacting to the decision of PDP leaders from the South who met on Thursday and agreed to zone the office of national chairman to the South West.
Mr. Dokpesi hails from Edo State in the South-South subregion.
In his reaction through his spokesperson, Omor Bazuaye, on Friday, Mr. Dokpesi said he remained undisturbed by the decision of the Southern PDP leaders zoning the position to the Southwest.
Mr. Bazuaye said Mr. Dokpesi had already resumed his campaign in Kano and Jigawa in the Northwest almost immediately after the announcement was made.
“He considers the action to micro zone to particular section as an unfortunate repeat of the same mistakes that saw the party lose elections in 2015.
“Dokpesi is counting on supports generated through his nationwide campaign.
“He is relying on the power of the people, hoping that their voice and not the calculation of a few selfish individuals would prevail,” Mr. Bazuaye said.
Apart from zoning the office of chairman to the South West, the PDP leaders, comprising of governors, National Assembly members and former ministers, and others, also agreed to zone the positions of national treasurer and deputy national publicity secretary to the South West.
The leaders zoned the position of first deputy National Chairman, National Legal Adviser, Deputy National Woman Leader and Deputy National Auditor to the South-South.
The South-East zone got the National Organising Secretary, National Youth Leader and Deputy National Financial Secretary.
Addressing journalists at the end of the meeting, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, said despite the zoning of the positions, any party member willing to contest any position was free to do so.
