Nigeria’s ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has thrown open its presidential contest, paving the way for President Goodluck Jonathan and those opposed to him on the basis of the party’s ‘zoning’ pact to contest the PDP slot for next year’s polls.
The party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) took the decision Thursday, ending the long debate on whether to dump its zoning system or not.
Under zoning, the presidency of Africa’s most populous nation is rotated every eight years (two terms) between the north and the south.
Since the late President Umaru Yar’Adua, a northerner, did not complete his two terms, northerners in the party have been clamouring for a candidate from the region to pick the PDP’s ticket for 2011 elections.
However, supporters of President Jonathan – a southerner who assumed office after the death of Yar’Adua – want the zoning policy dropped to pave the way for their candidate to run.
NEC’s decision means while the party would retain its zoning policy, it will also allow all those who are interested to contest the primaries to pick the party’s candidate, irrespective of which part of the country they are from.
Political analysts said the compromise decision was designed to satisfy everyone and keep the party intact, after the long and acrimonious zoning debate.