• We Were Not Bribed, Sen. Anyanwu


• Presidency: North Concedes Mandate to Jonathan


• Presidency: North Concedes Mandate to Jonathan


• Presidency: North Concedes Mandate to Jonathan


• 2011: PDP Youth Vanguard Endorses Jonathan


• Works on Abuja Auto Village to Commence Soon


• Civil Society Lauds Secretary ARDS in FCT


• No Factional Acting Executive Vice Chairman in NCC ---- Gwandu


• Akunyili Accused NCC of Frustrating Govt’s Effort in Telecom industry


• Riot Approach to rescue operation is inimical to safety- Expert


• Government admit flaws in budgetary allocation for children development


• We‘ll Call VIO to Order-----Chidoka


• FCT Minister May Clamp Down on Park Operators


• Jonathan cannot arm-twist Jega –Balarabe Musa


• Jilted woman commits suicide in lover’s house

The debate whether or not President Goodluck Jonathan is qualified to contest the 2011 Presidency under the Peoples Democratic Party, following the zoning arrangement of the Party seems to have been resolved, as the youth wing of the Party under the aegis of PDP National Youth Vanguard has also endorsed Jonathan to contest the 2011 Presidential election.
Last week, the National Organising Secretary of the PDP, Chief Uche Secondun said the party’s primary will be thrown open to qualified aspirants irrespective of geo political zones or tribes thereby putting to rest the controversial zoning arrangement of the party.
The group also said that they are in full support of Jonathan’s candidacy in 2011, even as they noted that the zoning arrangement of the party has outlived its usefulness; hence the party has resolved to chat a new course.
Speaking to our correspondent in an interview, the National Secretary of the group, Hon. Ibrahim Bala said the zoning arrangement was done for political convenience in 1999, but added that in spite of the arrangement some prominent members of the party who were not satisfied with the zoning arrangement took the party to court and the case was decided in favour of those aggrieved members.
“Decisions are taken at any given time for strategic reasons. In 1999, the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party in their wisdom felt that the only way to win overwhelmingly is to zone certain key positions to some geo political zones following the annulment of the 1993 Presidential elections. Even with such agreement, some party members who were not happy with the development took the matter to court and won the case.”
The youth scribe further said; “Based on the ruling of the court, some prominent politicians from the north contested the election against Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. It is also on record that even when the party decided to anoint Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua in 2007, some very powerful politicians from the south-East contested against him. The question many Nigerians are asking is where the zoning arrangement is?”
He affirmed that the zoning arrangement was done for strategic reason, stressing that it is not a constitutional matter as some persons have made Nigerians believe.
Hon. Bala also noted that for strategic reason, the leadership of the party has decided to open up the political space for all genuine members of the party to contest the election irrespective of region or tribe, pointing out that the National Youth Vanguard is left with no option other than to join voices with the national secretariat of the party.
He equally noted that following the political trend in the country, the best option for the party is to endorse President Goodluck Jonathan as the party standard bearer saying “Nigerians will be happy with Goodluck’s administration.”