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John Shiklam in Kaduna

Waziri Ashafa, one of the candidates for the chairmanship of the Kaduna state chapter of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has kicked against micro-zoning of positions in the forth coming congresses. 

Addressing a press conference yesterday in Kaduna, Ashafa said while zoning policy of the party as enshrined in its constitution is aimed at ensuring inclusiveness and fairness, micro-zoning is a plot by political buccaneers to impose their preferred candidates. 

Waziri also accused the state leadership of the PDP of allegedly refusing to sell nomination forms for contestants ahead of the August congresses.

He added that he had petitioned the national secretariat of the party on the issue. 

“For me as a person, I am vehemently opposed to micro-zoning of positions because it limits us from getting the best among us.

“Micro-zoning is a concept by some political buccaneers who want to narrow the contest to their preferred candidates. This is undemocratic and is unacceptable,” he said. 

According to him, the idea of zoning in PDP which is enshrined in its constitution, “aimed at fairness, inclusiveness and equity which is good, but micro zoning is skewed towards a particular direction”. 

Speaking on sale of  nomination forms, he alleged that the state party leadership is plotting to scheme out other contestants for their preferred candidates. 

He said they have refused to nominations in the hope of working out a consensus for the positions. 

“They don’t want to sale nomination forms to contestants. They said forms would be sold to those who emerge after the consensus arrangement. 

He said in 2020 they came up with the same strategy “that one form should be bought, but I and some other persons insisted that we must buy our nomination forms. 

“At the end of the day, all those who didn’t buy forms because the party said forms should not be bought until after the congresses were screened out. 

“I was not screened out because I bought form. As someone who has contested before, thunder cannot strike two times. I am now wiser,” he said. 

Ashafa decried the declining fortunes of the PDP in Kaduna,

saying that if elected chairman, he will unite the party and carry everybody along.

He said: “The current leadership of the PDP in Kaduna state is inept and has not been able to unite the party. 

“They have divided the party along so many lines. If I am elected, I reposition it. My leadership will be anchored on justice, fairness, equity, accountability, inclusiveness transparency”, he said.