There are indications that the Peoples Democratic Party’s panel on zoning has chosen to throw open the presidential ticket for the 2023 race.
This implies that all zones will be free to bid for the ticket if the recommendation is approved by the National Executive Committee (NEC).
It will be the first time since 1999 that the PDP will not zone its presidential ticket to either the South or the North.
According to a top source, the zoning of the presidential ticket was difficult for the Samuel Ortom led panel to decide because the party commenced the sale of nomination forms before setting up a zoning committee.
The source said: “Ortom’s committee has recommended that the presidential ticket should be thrown open because its hands were tied and it could not abort an exercise which was already midway.
“We knew this will be the outcome. The committee was dead on arrival because the party was already selling nomination forms before setting up the committee. Presidential aspirants from the North and South had already obtained forms.
“It has legal implications if you ask aspirants who have bought forms to step down or forego their rights to contest.
“The panel has shifted the final decision on its report to the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party which may meet before the Easter break. As you know, NEC itself is divided.”
