PDP Meets Presidential Aspirants Amid Hope for Unity Candidate

*Party confirms 811 delegates for Saturday, Sunday nomination convention

 Chuks Okocha in Abuja

Ahead of the Saturday and Sunday presidential nomination convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the national Working Committee (NWC) of the party, has summoned a meeting of all its presidential aspirants, with the hope that it could come up with a unity candidate.

The meeting is scheduled to take place today in Abuja.
THISDAY gathered the meeting could be discussing with its presidential aspirants on how to ensure a presidential unity candidate or at least to whittle down the number of aspirants.

National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Debo Ologunagba, told THISDAY that the party intended to meet all the presidential aspirants, but he refused to state the agenda of the meeting, adding that the PDP was already putting up plans for the Saturday and Sunday  presidential convention.

The PDP spokesman, however, said the presidential convention would be conducted in strict compliance with the Electoral Act article 84 (8).

He explained that the delegates were elected in compliance with the dictates of the act and that the venue of the convention was almost ready for the convention.

On the resignation of a former governor of Anambra State,  Peter Obi, from the party, the PDP spokesman said, it was one of contest for power, adding that even within a family contest,  “we do disagree to agree,  as there is no family without the strife of survival of the fittest”

Meanwhile,  the breakdown of the national delegates expected to vote at the presidential convention is as follows: Abia 17, Adamawa 22, Anambra 9, Akwa Ibom 31, Bauchi 20, Bayelsa 22, Benue 22, Borno 27, Cross River 18, Delta 25, Ebonyi 13,Edo 19, Ekiti 16, Enugu 17, Gombe 11, Imo 27, Jigawa 27 Kaduna 23, Kano 44, FCT 6, Katsina 34, Kebbi 22, Kogi 20, Kwara 16, Lagos 20, Nasarawa 13, Niger 24, Ogun 19, Ondo 18, Osun 30, Oyo 33, Plateau 17,  Rivers 23, Sokoto 22, Taraba 16, Yobe 15 and Zamfara 14.
Then, there is the 37 delegates from the Persons with Disabilities from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

However, Chairman, National Convention Organising Committee of the PDP, Senator David Mark, last night, summoned members PDP Special National Convention, the main committee to a meeting. The meeting was ongoing as at press time.

The meeting, which was in preparation for the 2022 Special National Convention of PDP. Held yesterday at the Conference Hall of Legacy House, Shehu Shagari Way, Maitama, Abuja