The aspirants meet PDP national leadership, rule out
consensus candidacy.
Twenty three people have signified interest to be candidate
of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Anambra State; and
have purchased the Expression of Interest forms to contest the November 16
governorship election.
Josephine Anenih, the wife of the Chairman of the Board of
Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Tony Anenih; the Chairman
of the Senate Committee on Independent National Electoral
Committee, INEC, Andy Uba; and the Coordinator of Foreign Affairs at
the PDP national secretariat, Agape Kramer; are among the members that
signified their interest by purchasing the forms for N1 million each.
Others are a former member of the House of Representatives,
Nicholas Ukachukwu; a former President of the National Association of
Nigerian Students, NANS, and PDP chairman in Anambra, Tony Nwoye; a former
Senator, Emmanuel Anosike; and Chairman, Gocuz Group of Companies, Obinna Uzor.
The national leadership of PDP had, during a meeting with
the party’s stakeholders in Anambra State last week, released the guidelines
for the governorship primaries beginning with the sale of Expression of
Interest Form between July 18 and 19.
The party also fixed, for August 1 to 5, the sale and return
of nomination forms, while the primaries and possible run-off hold August 24.
It will submit the name of the eventual candidate to INEC on August 30.
Although the cost of nomination form has not been officially
disclosed, sources said it may go for N5 million.
At a meeting with the party leadership on Monday at its
national secretariat in Abuja, all the aspirants reportedly resolved not to
pick one of them as a consensus candidate, preferring to go through the party
primaries.
They also agreed that whoever emerges as the candidate
should be supported by others who must not dump PDP for other parties in
protest.
It was further gathered that the meeting, which was presided
over by the acting Deputy National Secretary, Emmanuel Agboti, and acting
National Organising Secretary, Hamisu Abubakar, resolved to shelve the use of
electronic registration of the members of the party for the election.
According to a source, due to the peculiarity of the Anambra
State chapter of the party, which has three factions, the meeting resolved that
the factions should submit their membership lists from which the through
membership would be compiled for the August 24 primary election.
The ruling party insisted at the meeting that members on the
list of each faction must not only have membership cards but must produce
evidence of paying their dues regularly and at the right time. This is expected
to check the inclusion of names of people who were never financial members.
A source at the meeting stated that it ruled out the issue
of electronic registration for the Anambra election because going by the party
guidelines for primaries, the exercise should have been concluded at least a
month before the ward congresses which holds on August 17.
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