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Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said the Peoples Democratic Party has not discarded its controversial zoning policy.

Mr Obasanjo, who spoke at the grand finale of the PDP presidential campaign rally at Eagles Square, Abuja, vowed that as an apostle of principle of zoning Of elective and appointive positions, he would not dump it at this point in the nation’s history.

“We are the only party that enshrined federal character in our constitution through zoning and rotation and we should be proud of that. For us and for the foreseeable future, it remains so far,” he said. “I am an apostle of federal character under Murtala/Obasanjo administration and I cannot now preach anything different.
“The accident of history of the recent past must be understood once again that it was an unexpected situation. And PDP as a party has addressed that issue.”

The former president’s position contradicts President Goodluck Jonathan’s position, which he stated last year when he appeared at the PDP national secretariat to submit his nomination form. Mr Jonathan had said that it is only after the election of president and vice president that the other key political offices will be zoned.

Mr Obasanjo, who is the chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees, disclosed that at the recent meeting of the Board, Mr Jonathan tabled the issue of zoning a day after former Head of State Ibrahim Babangida, former vice president Abubakar Atiku and former National Security Adviser, Aliyu Mohammed Gusau raised the matter.

According to him, he (Obasanjo)was subsequently mandated by the Board to meet with them with a view to discussing the matter.

He said he met with Mr Babangida last Sunday and assured him that the principle of zoning was still alive in the party.

“At the last meeting of the BoT of our party last Saturday, the issue was tabled by the President and it was raised by three distinguished members of our party a day before that BoT’s meeting with the President.

“I was mandated to discuss the constitution of our party with the distinguished members of our party. They are General Ibrahim Babangida, General Aliyu Muhammad and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

“The following day, that was last Sunday, I took up the matter with General Babangida who expressed to me that the issue is not the accident of history, rather it is the issue of perception in some quarters that federal character, zoning and rotation agreed by the PDP have jettisoned and permanently discarded.

“I, on behalf of the BoT, allayed the fears and I promised a public report and to brief the party members about it. What I am saying simply is that federal character, zoning and rotation in our party is alive and kicking.”

The former president said the party will continue to maintain the principle of zoning in the area of key political and governmental positions as long as it remains the ruling party in the country, adding that it will only be discarded “when unity, stability and democracy have been fully established with full confidence and trust by everybody in the system, within the polity and among participant.”

Describing Mr Jonathan’s offer to serve for only one term as a sacrifice, Mr Obasanjo argued that rather than vilify him, he should be encouraged. He said that he does not know who will succeed the president but that he could ‘reasonably’ guess where the person will come from.

“I don’t know who will be president of Nigeria after Dr Goodluck Jonathan, that is in the hand of God. But with the PDP policy, I can reasonably guess from where, in terms of the section of the constitution, the successor of President Jonathan will come. And no internal democracy or complication will be there to destroy it,” he stated.

Mr. Obasanjo said he supported former Presidents Shehu Shagari and Umaru Yar’Adua to get to power, insisting he never put ethnicity, regional or religious consideration while doing so. He said he worked for them to succeed him because they could strengthen the unity, stability and democracy of Nigeria.

Also speaking, Mr Jonathan assured that his administration, if elected, will give Nigerians a good administration, especially in the areas of infrastructural development, security and welfare.

His deputy and running mate, Namadi Sambo, FCT Minister, Bala Mohammed, PDP National Women Leader, Inna Ciroma and the director general of the campaign of Jonathan’s campaign organisation, Dalhatu Tafida also delivered good will messages.

All the serving governors of the PDP and new governorship candidates spoke at the rally and assured Mr Jonathan that they will get their people to vote for him.