Leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, from the South-West geopolitical zone have asked the national leadership of the party to allow Senator Ali Modu Sheriff to remain in the saddle beyond the forthcoming convention slated for May in order for the party not to be seen as a regional one.

This position was contained in a document reportedly authored by Governors Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State, Oluse‎gun Mimiko of Ondo State, Chief Olabode George, Chief Kola Balogun ‎and two others, which was distributed to newsmen yesterday in Abuja, when the South-west leaders of the party visited Sheriff.

The PDP had zoned its presidential ticket to the North and is supposed to have its national chairman come from the South during the May 21 national convention, in line with its constitution.

The leaders said that they had witnessed how activities have picked up at the PDP national secretariat since Sheriff emerged as national chairman. They added that former Bornu governor was a man of blessing and goodwill as the party had, under his watch, won recent rerun elections.

According to the South-west leaders, “After consulting with our leaders and elders who control 70 percent of PDP members and structures in the South-west, our position is that the position of the national chairman should not be zoned to the South.

“We say this because, out of the five states in the South-east, the PDP has three governors. We have five governors out of the six states in the South-south; in south west, we have two governors.

“In the whole of the North, we have only two governors. We need to strengthen the North. If not, the PDP will be branded as a regional party if we go ahead to pick the national chairman from the South.”