L-R: Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa , Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu and Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel ng the meeting of Southern Nigeria PDP at the Government House, Port Harcourt on Thursday night.

Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt

The ambition of Dr. Raymond Dokpesi, the chairman of pioneer Nigeria private broadcasting outfit, DAAR Communications to become the next chairman of Peoples Democratic Party now hangs in the balance as leaders of the party from Southern Nigeria on Thursday zoned the position to the South West.

Dokpesi, from Edo, South-south Nigeria has been touring the country and visiting governors and others bigwigs of the party to canvass support for his bid to become the chairman of crisis ridden PDP.

The media mogul has also been running heavy media campaign, using his outfits to canvass support for his candidacy.

The Ahmed Makarfi faction of the PDP had in a zoning formular for national offices of the party released last week ahead of the party’s national convention zoned the position of the national chairman among other positions to Southern Nigeria.

Following the release of the National zoning formular,  leaders of PDP from Southern Nigeria made up of governors, National Assembly Members and Former Ministers on Thursday evening decided that the positions of the National Chairman, National Treasurer and Deputy National Publicity Secretary should be zoned to the South West geo-political zone.

The party zoned the position of First Deputy National Chairman to the South-South. The South-South also got the positions of National Legal Adviser, Deputy National Women Leader and Deputy National Auditor.

The South-East got the following positions: National Organising Secretary, National Youth Leader and Deputy National Financial Secretary.

Addressing journalists at the end of the meeting, Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu said despite the zoning of the positions, any party member willing to contest any position is free to do.

He, however, advised party members from the Southern Nigeria to respect the zoning formula.

Analysts said with the support of governors who controls delegates that will vote at the convention for the South West, the ambition of Dr Dokpesi to emerge the next PDP chairman may be effectively over.

The leading aspirant for the position of National chairman of PDP from the South West so far is former Deputy National Chairman of the party, Chief Bode George.

There have been speculations that some leading members of PDP from Southern Nigerian are working to draft former PDP Lagos State gubernatorial candidate, Jimi Agbaje into the contest.

It is envisaged that more aspirants for the chairmanship position of PDP may emerge from the geo- political zone with the formal zoning of the position to the area.