PDP makes U-turn, sells forms to Jonathan’s opponents

Two days to the close of the sale of its presidential and other nomination forms, the Peoples Democratic Party has called on any member interested in the party’s presidential primary to obtain the forms.

It has therefore urged all interested aspirants to all offices, including the office of the President in the party, to be free to come to the national headquarters of the party with the proof of payment, and pick their nomination forms.

The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh, stated this in a statement in Abuja on Monday.

The statement 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, November 6, 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 a verifiable evidence of payment for purposes of collection of their forms.”

When our correspondent called Metuh to verify whether the party would only sell only to those who who have paid for the forms, he said no.

“Those who have paid are free to come while those who want to also pay for the forms are free to do, “ he added.

Our correspondent reports that the U-turn made by the party on this might not be unconnected with the position of two presidential aspirants, Dr. Abdul-Jhalil Tafawa-Balewa and Prof. Akasoba Duke-Abiola, who were at the national secretariat of the party in Abuja on Tuesday last week to purchase the forms, but were turned back.

Tafawa-Balewa, who hails from Bauchi State, is the son of Nigeria’s First Republic Prime Minister, the late Abubakar Tafawa-Balewa.

It will be recalled that all the caucuses of the party, including the National Executive Council had endorsed President Jonathan as the PDP sole presidential candidate.

It was gathered that the party because of this action, refused to sell the forms to other aspirants.

The two aspirants were told that the party only printed a copy of the presidential form and that it was meant for the President.

However, the party was said to have been confused because of the legal implication of its action.

This was because despite the NEC endorsement of President Goodluck Jonathan, the party went ahead to advertise the sale of the presidential forms and called on interested applicants to apply.

The party also named the designated banks, where it said such nomination money should be paid.

A member of the National Working Committee of the party, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the party decided to sell the forms to interested persons because of this.

He said, “We know the legal implication of what we did. It was a mistake on our part to have advertised that the presidential forms are available for sale in the first place. The situation became worse when we have even collected money from aspirants and we refused to sell the forms to them. That’s one of the reasons why we changed our mind.”

He added that the party was however convinced that none of its governors would breach the agreement they had with the party on the President’s endorsement.