The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held its zonal congress on Saturday, with party members expressing optimism that the party will reclaim power in the centre by 2019.
Five Governors of the PDP in the South-south, party leaders and over 500 delegates from the six states in the region converged on Obi Wali International Conference Centre in Port Harcourt the capital of Rivers State for the South-south zonal congress.
It was held to elect new officers of the party in the zone for the next two years.
Addressing the gathering, the Senate Minority Leader, Mr Godswill Akpabio, said the various congresses must be used to right the wrongs that led to the defeat of the PDP at the federal level.
The new Vice Chairman of the Party in the zone, Emmanuel Ogidi, believes his team will bring all members together.
In the north-west, the zonal congress was held in Kaduna State for the election of leaders that would run the affairs of the party in the zone.
The congress, which was peaceful and orderly, had in attendance former governor of Kaduna State, Ahmed Makarfi, Sule Lamido of Jigawa State among other top officials.
At the end of the congress, the immediate past Zonal Chairman of the party, Ambassador Ibrahim Kazaure, was re-elected for a second time in office along with other executive members.
Some of the PDP faithful at the congress described the exercise as the most peaceful in the history of the party in the zone.
Mr Lamido expresses confidence in the ability of the new leaders to strengthen and unite the party ahead of the 2019 elections.
He also maintained that the PDP was being repositioned to take over power from the all progressive congress in 2019, expressing beliefs that the leadership crisis rocking the party would soon be settled by members and leaders of the party.
Commenting on the conduct of the exercise, the Chairman of the Congress Committee for the North-west Zone and former Governor of Kogi State, Idris Wada, commended the members for their maturity and orderly conduct, during and after the exercise.
