The Peoples
Democratic Party has outlined how its 2019 presidential candidate will emerge.
In a 40-page
document titled ‘Electoral Guideline for the PDP, Directorate of Organisation and Mobilisation’,
exclusively obtained by the Media in Abuja on Saturday, the party said its
presidential aspirants are to pay a total sum of N12m for both nomination and
expression of interest forms, respectively.
However,
female aspirants are to pay only N2m for expression of interest form as they
are exempted from the payment of N10m nomination fee.
The document
that explained these modalities was signed by the National Chairman of the PDP,
Prince Uche Secondus and the National Secretary of the party, Senator Umaru Tsauri.
The party
said all aspirants are to swear to an oath to abide by the decisions of the
party on the conduct of its primary elections.
The document
said each aspirant must be nominated by not less than “60 persons from at least
two-thirds of all the states of the federation who shall be registered voters
in their respective local government areas and also registered members of the
party.”
The document
added, “A copy of the voter’s registration card of the aspirant shall be
attached to the duly completed nomination form.
“To be
accompanied by a sworn declaration made before a Commissioner of Oaths or
notary public; undertaking to abide by the guidelines, all laws and any rules
or regulations made by the party for the conduct of the primary elections.
“The
decision of the National Executive Committee of the party on all primary
elections shall be final and binding.”
The party
stated that its NEC would appoint a Presidential Screening Committee on the
recommendation of the NWC.
The
committee, it said “shall consist of a chairman and eight others. One from each
geo-political zone, plus two women (one from the North and another from the
South).”
It added
that aggrieved aspirants, who fail the screening exercise, would be free to appeal
to a panel that would be led by Secondus, which will also include all other
members of the NWC.
On the
payment of fees, the party said, “An aspirant shall obtain the expression of
interest forms code PD002/P upon payment of the non-refundable fee of N2m from
the national secretariat of the party or such place as may be designated by the
NWC of the party, and, on completion, return same to the national secretariat.
“An aspirant
shall obtain Nomination Form code PD003/P from the national secretariat of the
party or such other place designated by the NWC of the party and evidenced upon
payment of the prescribed non-refundable fee of N10m, save that female
aspirants shall be exempted from the payment of the prescribed nomination fee.”
The document
added that all the aspirants must be “duly registered financial members of the
party.”
It was
however silent on the modalities to determine the financial status of the
aspirants.
While it
said the presidential candidate would emerge through “modified open secret
system,” it also added that the “aspirant with the highest number of votes at
the end of voting shall be declared the winner of the primary.”
The document
was however silent on the date and venue of the special national convention
where the candidate would emerge.
The party
indicated that the “date and venue for the convention would be made known, at
least seven days before the event (convention).”
Part of the
qualifications listed for its presidential aspirants are that they must be
citizens of Nigeria by birth and that they must not be below the age of 40.
The
aspirants are also expected to be registered voters and must attach a copy of
their voter card and registration cards to their duly completed form code
PD003/P.
Among those
who have declared their intention to run for Presidency on the platform of the
PDP are a former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar; a former Governor of Kano State, Ibrahim
Shekarau; Governor of Gombe State,
Ibrahim Dankwambo; Governor of Ekiti
State, Ayo Fayose; and a former Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki
(SAN).
There are
unconfirmed reports that a few members of the ruling All Progressives Congress
may defect to the former ruling party to vie for its presidential ticket.
Human rights
lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), on Saturday, restated his opposition to the sale
of nomination forms to aspirants for elective offices by political parties.
Falana, in
an interview with a media outlet, threatened to take legal action against political
parties that were still selling nomination forms to aspirants despite previous
court judgments prohibiting such payment.
Falana, had
last week, in Lagos, during the one-day national electoral summit, organised by
the Transition Monitoring Group with support from the United Kingdom’s
Department for International Development, railed against the commercialisation
of nomination forms by political parties.
He regretted
that despite President Muhammadu Buhari expressing disappointment that he took
a loan of N27m to buy the APC nomination form during the 2015 elections, he had
not been able to change the guideline.
Falana took
on the political parties on Saturday while also indicating his intention to sue
them if they continued in the act.
He said,
“The conditions for contesting elections from local government, to the House of
Assembly, governorship, House of Representatives, Senate and presidential
levels, are all in the constitution.
“There are
decisions of the court to the effect that the Independent National Electoral
Commission and state electoral commissions cannot collect fees from candidates
who are contesting elections.
“So, if I am
going to contest election, you can’t ask me to pay N27m as nomination fee
because that is unknown to the constitution.
“Therefore,
the parties cannot decide their own rules. They cannot impose prohibitive rules
that will restrict the participation in the contest of an election to
moneybags.
“Of course,
we may have to sue the political parties if they continue this illegality. We
cannot go on like this.”
He added
that aggrieved aspirants should be encouraged to sue their parties.
“Aggrieved
party members should be encouraged to challenge the prohibitive nomination fees
imposed on aspirants by political parties.
“I believe
any citizen, who meets the requirements outlined in the Constitution, is
qualified to contest any election. Political parties cannot add to the
constitutional requirements.”
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