PDP Assures Presidential Aspirants of Transparent Convention

•To publish list of delegates

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday assured its presidential aspirants that its primary slated for Saturday would be transparent, saying every one of them would have a free and fair chance to be elected as its flag bearer.

The party’s position was publicised by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, who rolled out measures that had been taken to guarantee a transparent process.

The party’s National Convention would be convened on Saturday in Port Harcourt for the purpose of electing its presidential candidate for the general election scheduled for the first quarter of 2019.

Twelve aspirants, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; Senate President Bukola Saraki; Sokoto State Governor, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal; Gombe State Governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Dankwambo; former Jigawa State governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido; former Kaduna State governor, Senator Ahmed Makarfi; and former Minister of Special Duties and Inter-governmental Affairs, Alhaji Tanimu Turaki SAN.

Others are former president of the Senate, Senator David Mark; a former Kano State governor, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso; former Sokoto State governor, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa; former Plateau State governor, Senator Jonah Jang; Mr. Stanley Osifo and Senator Baba Datti-Ahmed.

According to Ologbondiyan, “We are doing everything possible to carry all the aspirants along. We are going to publish the lists of delegates participating in the convention and all the aspirants will have a copy.”
He noted that the process adopted by the party was clean and clear, adding that each aspirant would nominate two people into the accreditation committee and another two each into the electoral committee.

“This is a deviation from the past when they were only asked to nominate agents to represent their interest at the convention,” he added.
Ologbondiyan stressed that the party had no interest for any aspirant, stressing that all the aspirants were capable and whoever emerged was capable of giving the party victory in 2019.

He said that the chairmen of the state chapters would introduce their delegates at the convention venue.
He explained that the party was not blackmailed to choose Port Harcourt as convention venue, saying that the issue of Port Harcourt was put into vote and it was unanimously agreed that the city should host the convention.

The party also assured that there would be no post convention crisis, even though the party has internal conflict resolution mechanisms.

“We heard there were slaps in Akwa Ibom during their (APC) congresses. We never heard in PDP of members fighting and biting each other. We are more experienced and decent,” he said.

Ologbondiyan also assured party members that the situation in Ogun where parallel congresses were held would be managed by the party.

Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa is at the head of the National Convention Organising Committee saddled with the responsibility of organising the convention, the last of which was held in 2014 when former President Goodluck Jonathan was nominated by the PDP to bear its flag in the 2015 general elections.
Okowa had similarly promised to conduct a transparent primary that would be acceptable to the aspirants.