Abuja — The presidential candidate of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2011 general election may emerge in September this year, THISDAY has been info-rmed.

This and other issues are expected to top the agenda of the national caucus of the party which holds today at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The agenda will also include the health of Pres-ident Umaru Musa Yar'Adua.

THISDAY gathered that the meeting was called by the National Chairman of PDP, Vincent Ogbulafor, who is also the chairman of the caucus.

According to a source who spoke to THISDAY, "the meeting is to inform the members of the caucus of the decision to retain the presidential zoning in the north till 2015".

The caucus meeting, it was gathered, may be "crucial" as some members of the caucus are not happy with the zoning arrangement.

Already, some are arguing that the presidential ticket should be thrown open to enable the Acting President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan contest.

THISDAY was told that the caucus meeting will be attended by Jonathan, Senate President David Mark, Speaker of the House of Representatives Dimeji Bankole and the National Secretary of the party, Alhaji Abubakar Baraje.

The meeting, it was gathered, will also discuss the possibility of getting the National Assembly, dominated by PDP, to amend the constitution so that the general election will hold in January 2011.

The source also told THISDAY that "whatever the decision reached will form the summoning of the party's NEC meeting next week".

The outcome of the meeting will therefore be rubber-stamped by the PDP NEC which is the highest decision making body outside the national convention.

It was also gathered that today's meeting will decide whether the mid-term convention of the party will hold or not; or the party will plan for a presidential nomination convention alongside with the mid-term convention.