The South West chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday declared that North should retain the national chairmanship position of the party ahead of the party’s national convention scheduled for May 21.

They argued that if the national chairmanship of the party goes to the South, it will result to branding PDP a regional party.

This was contained in a situation report on the state of PDP in the South West, signed by Buruji Kasamu, Teslim Folarin, state chairmen of the party and 30 others.

The party leaders from the zone led by the South West national vice chairman of the party, Makanjuola Ogundipe, had presented the report when they paid a solidarity visit to the national chairman, Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff.

They also endorsed, Senator Buruji Kasamu, as leader of the party in the zone.

However the party leaders in the report said: “Mr. chairman sir, our position in respect of the ongoing process leading to the congresses and national convention, after consulting with our leaders and elders who control over 70 percent of PDP members and structures in the South West, 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 governor. 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.”

Responding to their demands, Sheriff who said the South West zone is important to him, vowed that he would ensure that the party will be united in the zone.

He also promised to undertake a reconciliatory tour of all the states in the South West ahead of future elections.