PDP Makes U-turn, To Sell Forms To Other Presidential Aspirants

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Monday reversed its decision, saying the Presidential forms were now available for sale. Recall that the party had denied aspirants opportunity to get forms apart from President Goodluck Jonathan, who was made the sole presidential candidate of the party.

The decision would be ratified according to the National leadership of the party, ahead of December 6 National Convention of the PDP .

PDP Presidential Aspirant Dr. Abduljhalil Tafabalewa displaying his N22milion teller from GTB rejected by PDP official. PDP official claimed that Presidential Forums were not available. Photo by Gbemiga Olamikan

The party, in a two-paragraph statement by PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, urged all those who have paid for the Expression of Interest and nomination forms to visit the party’s National Secretariat to pick the forms.

Metuh, who insisted that sale of forms for aspirants closes on Thursday this week, said, “The Peoples Democratic Party wishes to inform all aspirants to all positions for the 2015 general elections that the deadline for the purchase and collection of all nomination forms has been extended to Thursday, 6th November 2014.

“All aspirants who paid for nomination forms, including the Presidential Form but yet to collect same, should come to the PDP National Secretariat, Wadata Plaza, Wuse Zone 5, Abuja with verifiable evidence of payment for purposes of collection of their forms.”

Meanwhile, a source told Vanguard on phone yesterday that with this development, son of Nigeria’s late prime minister, Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Dr Abdul Jelil, who was denied the forms, would today storm the National Secretariat to get the forms.

It will be recalled that NEC had at its 66th NEC meeting endorsed President Goodluck Jonathan as the party’s sole Presidential candidate of the party, whose candidature would be ratified at the December 6 National Convention.

The party had also said after the endorsement through Chief Metuh that all law abiding members of the party must adhere strictly to the decision of PDP by not picking presidential nomination forms against the decision of the organs of the party.