Former National Chairman, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and newly installed Tafidah of Ilorin, Ahaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje, has knocked former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, for his stance over zoning of the Presidency.
Atiku had claimed that zoning arrangement by political parties is not enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution.
The former VP’s argued that the new ‘Tafidan Ilorin’ pointed out that zoning is well enshrined in the PDP Constitution where Atiku belongs.
He also explained that the Nigerian Constitution allows each party to run its affairs in manners that carry all members along.
The PDP chieftain therefore said “His Excellency, our leader, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, was saying the right thing but he has forgotten that the constitution of PDP has been amended, and I believe some of us will remind him that it’s not in the constitution of PDP before a certain number of years back. But it is now clearly stated in the PDP Constitution that zoning should be respected and there is a caveat in the constitution which says that zoning should be respected for the purpose of giving sense of belonging to all members of the party and for all inclusiveness except and only when a resolution of the National Executive Council (NEC) decides otherwise.”
Baraje said this on Thuesday evening to journalists in Ilorin at his GRA Residence as part of a rapprochement with newsmen ahead of this Friday’s coronation as the new Tafidah.
He added that “It is stated in the constitution black and white. It was reviewed in the constitution sometime around 2011.
“Although, before then, it was an oral tradition of PDP and it was even as good as being written.
“I met it like that when I took over as party’s National Secretary in 2008.
“Even when it was an oral tradition of the party, it was highly respected.
“It was formally included in our party’s constitution in 2011 when we were reviewing the party’s constitution before I left in 2011,” he said.
