PDP Gives Jonathan Ultimatum To Declare His Presidential Ambition

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) claimed yesterday that President Goodluck Jonathan and other party aspirants heading for the office in 2015 elections must buy their expression of interest and nomination forms by October 30.
The ruling party leadership reasoned the one-week ultimatum by the fact that the PDP cannot go for a national convention to ratify someone who has not declared interest,according to Vanguard.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary Olisa Metuh made this known while briefing journalists October 22:
“The NWC [National Working Committee] today (yesterday) decided that the issue of the closing date for the collection of the nomination forms cannot be extended. It will not be extended beyond 6 pm, of October 30th, no party member can obtain forms for our 2014 congress and convention after the deadline.”
While Jonathan had been previously adopted a sole candidate for the 2015 presidential elections ahead of the primaries scheduled for December 6, the PDP leadership yesterday decided on the waiver for the returning and new members of the party. Metuh explained:
“Today, the National Working Committee has granted unconditional waivers to all returning and new members of the party who seek to participate in the Ward Delegate Primaries. Because it is an ad-hoc primaries, the NWC wishes to clarify that there is no requirement for party members to write to Ward Chairmen or Local government Chairmen for waivers. All party members, new, and returning members are free to participate in the Ward Delegate Congress.”
It was added however that the waiver had been granted only to those who want to be delegates. However those who want to be in the House of Assembly, Senate, House of Representatives, Governorship, will have to undergo the appropriate procedure of applying for the waivers.
“I want to state categorically that the NWC also informs Nigerians that the requirement for waiver does not apply to people who are board members occupying such committee positions. We are granting the waiver because we have noted that some chapters are planning to say that some people are either returning or they are new members and cannot contest to be delegates, but the issue of three-man delegate is an Ad-hoc one because immediately after the convention, national or local government delegate, upon the end of the congress, the delegate ceases.”
During the conference the party also stated categorically that the primaries and the convention would be open and transparent “at all levels”.
Thus, the incumbent president, who has been expected to declare by many Nigerians for quite a time, is to meet the ultimatum deadline and to pay a total of N 22 million for the official procedure ahead of the December 6 National Convention.
It would be recalled that the first aspirant to have purchased the presidential form on the basis of the opposition party All Progressives Congress (APC) was Nigeria’s former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who made a move on October 13.

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