L.A.S MEDIA HOUSE

Friday 19 September 2014

PDP’s endorsement: I won’t disappoint you –Jonathan

ABUJA—AHEAD of his formal re-election declaration,
President Goodluck Jonathan has been adopted as the sole
presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
by the National Working Committee (NEC) and Board of
Trustees (BoT) of the party. The party's governors' forum had

on Wednesday endorsed the President for a second term.
In essence, President Jonathan will stand as sole aspirant at
the PDP's December 6 presidential primaries unless another
aspirant emerges. The Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido,
who earlier vowed to challenge Jonathan for the PDP ticket
has shelved his ambition and toed the path of other PDP
governors.
NEC's endorsement
Rising from its 66th meeting, yesterday, at the Wadata
Plaza National Secretariat of the party, the party's highest
body, NEC, explained that the move
became imperative because no serious party would change
a winning team like President Jonathan's, who has
performed with his Transformation Agenda which has
changed the face and well-being of Nigerians.
As prelude to the NEC's adoption of the president,
yesterday, Governor of Niger State and Chairman, Northern
States Governors' Forum, NSGF, Dr. Mu'azu Babangida
Aliyu, who spoke first and on behalf of all the PDP governors,
told NEC members that at the meeting of the governors held
on Wednesday at the Akwa Ibom Governor's Lodge,
Asokoro, the governors had unanimously adopted President
Jonathan as the party's sole candidate for next year's
election without any dissenting voice.
Former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and Speaker of
House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, were
absent at yesterday's meeting. Tambuwal was allegedly
said to be preparing to dump the PDP.
I'm humbled, I won't disappoint you –Jonathan
Meanwhile, President Jonathan who accepted the
endorsement by all organs of the party which culminated in
that of NEC, said he was really humbled, overwhelmed and
promised not to disappoint the PDP governors, the leaders,
stakeholders and members of the party.
He said: "Let me really say that the events of yesterday,
starting with BoT meeting last night and what has just
happened today, with the various motions adopting me as
sole candidate of the party has really humbled me.
"Let me specially thank our governors that initiated that
action, let me thank members of BoT, let me thank the
Senate President and members of the National Assembly, let
me appreciate the PDP women for their position and the
NEC, because no matter what anybody does, without the
NEC, you will be on your own.
"Adopting me as the sole candidate of the party has
humbled me; I am totally overwhelmed. When the governors
came up in a jointly signed paper, though House of
Representatives started it, governors' intervention was like an
atomic bomb. I commend all departments of the NEC.
"I am so overwhelmed that I lack words to express myself. I
leave it for another day. For today, for you to have that kind
of confidence, I am extremely challenged. It means that
whatever we had done in the past three years, we'll triple it.
That is the only way Nigerians will appreciate it. I promise I
will not disappoint you."
Lamido steps down
There was, however, a mild drama when Governor Aliyu
called on Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State to stand up
and join him and soon after, Lamido stood up as a sign of
agreeing with other governors and jettisoned his ambition for
now to support President Jonathan's return bid. The hall
erupted with shouts of PDP! PDP!! by members of NEC, just
as Governor Aliyu boasted that Rivers, Nasarawa, Kwara,
Sokoto and Adamawa states would be brought to the party
in next year's election.
Soon after Governor Aliyu spoke for the governors, former
Deputy National Chairman of the party and member of the
party's BoT, Alhaji Shuaibu Oyedokun, who was mandated
to speak on behalf of the BoT, also announced that the BoT at
its Wednesday's meeting unanimously voted for Jonathan's
continuity and as the party's sole candidate.
BoT, NASS caucus, PDP women speak
According to him, the BoT took the decision unanimously,
willingly and joyfully because of the need for him to further
consolidate on his achievements.
President of the Senate, Senator David Mark who doubles as
Chairman of the National Assembly said that as an advocate
of continuity especially for a performing sitting president, it
has become imperative for Jonathan to continue, a reason
the National Assembly PDP caucus made up of both the
Senate and the House of Representatives agreed that
President Jonathan should not only continue, but should be
the only candidate to be presented at the convention by the
party for the 2015 presidential election.
For the women, Ambassador Justina Eze, said PDP women
passed a resolution that the president should continue and
be the party's candidate because of his concern for women,
adding that there was no vacancy in Aso Rock.
How PDP BoT endorsed Jonathan
On Wednesday night, the PDP BoT unanimously endorsed
the President as its sole candidate for the 2015 presidential
polls, adding that it was done to reward hard work as well
as for continuity.
At its meeting at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa,
Abuja which started at about 8:16pm and ended at about
11:30pm, the BoT also approved the time-table and
guidelines for the party's primaries and national convention
for the 2015 polls.
The decision of the BOT, according to former Minister of
Information, Professor Jerry Gana was an affirmation of the
position of the PDP governors who had earlier taken such
position and presented same to BOT of the party.
Endorsement motion
Former acting National Chairman of PDP, and past Minister
of Defence, Dr. Bello Haliru Mohammed, moved the motion,
which was seconded by former governor of old Anambra
State, Chief Jim Nwobodo, who said: "It is difficult to change
a winning team because this team has done so well. I think it
is just fair that I second the motion that Dr. Ebele Jonathan be
returned as the sole candidate of the PDP."
PDP National chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mu'azu, however, put
the motion to vote and the NEC unanimously adopted it
without any dissenting voice.
Speaking after, Mu'azu who disclosed that the convention of
the party has been fixed for December 6 and 7, where his
position would be ratified as well as that of the National
Secretary and the National Auditor with minor amendments
in the party's constitution.
PDP approves guidelines for primaries
lPresidential aspirants to pick forms for N22 million;
Governorship aspirants N11 million
lSenators, N4 million, Reps, N2 million, State House of
Assembly, N1 Million
President Jonathan and any other presidential aspirant will
pay a total of N 22 million to collect the Expression of Interest
and nomination forms of the PDP.
This is one of the guidelines for the 2014 general elections
approved by the National Executive Committee, NEC,
yesterday.
The NEC approved that the Presidential election shall be by
Special Convention using the modified open secret ballot
system otherwise known as open secret and delegates shall
emerge as provided for in the constitution of the party or the
Electoral Guidelines of the party.
According to the 39-page document obtained by Vanguard,
yesterday, for the presidential primary, the Expression of
Interest Form Code PD002/P would go for N2 million and the
Nomination form Code PD003/P would be purchased for
N20 million, totalling N22 million.
To qualify for the primaries, a presidential aspirant must be
nominated by 60 persons from at least two-thirds of all the
states of the Federation who shall be registered voters in
their local government areas and also registered members of
the party.
Governorship aspirants will maintain the N1m for Expression
of Interest form Code PD002/G and N10 million for
nomination form Code PD003/G and a gubernatorial
aspirant must be nominated by 45 persons.
According to the approved guidelines, the Presidential
Screening Committee shall consist of Chairman, Secretary
and eight other members; Presidential Appeal Panel shall
consist of 12 members of the NWC and six from the Board of
Trustees, BoT, one from each zone of the country with the
National Chairman presiding.
Meanwhile, the NEC said government appointees would not
be delegates at the special national convention.
According to the guidelines, to be a senatorial aspirant, such
a person must purchase the Expression of Interest form for
N500, 000.00 and Nomination form for N4 million.
An aspirant to the House of Representatives will purchase the
Expression of Interest form for N500,000.00 and nomination
form for N2 million while for the State House of Assembly, an
aspirant would pay N200,000.00 for the Expression of
Interest form and N1 million for the nomination form.
Female aspirants, in line with the tradition of the party, will
not pay for the nomination forms.
According to the guidelines, 15 per cent of income realised
from the sale of forms, shall be remitted to the state chapters
of the party and five per cent to the zones.
BoT members who dump party can't come back until after 4
years
Meanwhile, NEC at its meeting, Vanguard gathered, agreed
that any BoT member who dumps the party would need four
years before he or she could be re-admitted into the party.
Roll call
Party chieftains at the NEC were President Jonathan; Vice
President Namadi Sambo; Senate President Mark; Deputy
Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu; Deputy Speaker of
House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha; National
Chairman of PDP, Alhaji Adamu Mu'azu, Deputy National
Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus and other members of the
National Working Committee, NWC.
Also present were Governors Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu
(Niger), Sullivan Chime (Enugu), Theodore Orji (Abia), Garba
Umar (Taraba), Muktar Shagari (deputy governor, Sokoto),
Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe), Sule Lamido (Jigawa),
Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa), Jonah Jang (Plateau), Ramalan
Yero (Kaduna), Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta), Umar Fintiri
(Acting governor Adamawa), Godswill Akpabio (Akwa
Ibom), Idris Wada (Kogi), Gabriel Suswan (Benue).
Others were Secretary, PDP BoT, Senator Walid Jubrin;
former speakers, House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole
and Umar Ghali Naaba; former Senate President, Ken
Nnamani, former Deputy Senate President, Ibrahim Mantu;
National Vice Chairman, South South, Dr. Cairo Ojuigboh
and other national vice chairmen; Chief Dan Orbih and other
state chairmen; Political Adviser to the president, Professor
Rufai Alkali; Iyom Josephine Anenih; Senate Leader, Victor
Ndoma- Egba; Senator James Manager; Chief Emmanuel
Iwuanyanwu; Senator Hope Uzodinma, Mrs Ifeoma
Agbomah; Erelu Olusola Obada; Alhaji Maina Waziri;
Senator Mohammadu Magoro and Senator Bode Olajumoke
among others.
Sent from my BlackBerry wireless device from MTN

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