PDP fears implosion over dozen aspirants

To avoid possible implosion within the party, the Peoples Democratic Party’s Board of Trustees, has set up a 12-member committee to discuss with its 12 presidential aspirants, with a view to picking one of them as consensus candidate for the 2019 general elections.
BoT Chairman, Senator Walid Jibrin, who disclosed this in a statement, a copy of which was made to our correspondent yesterday in Abuja, said “the committee would impress it on the aspirants the dangers inherent in having such a large number of them in the race.
He described the present number of aspirants as ‘unwieldy,” saying there were fears that it could lead to disagreement among the contestants, and ultimately a major division after the primaries.
Jibrin also said, “the committee would not compel any of the aspirants to withdraw from the race,” adding that, “rather, they would be persuaded to put the interest of the party above their personal interests and ambitions.” “A committee has been set up to discuss with all the aspirants to come up with one of them as a consensus candidate.
We have 12 of them in the race,” he added.
“We have also advised the leadership of the party to regulate the processes and draw a code of conduct to guide the conduct and behaviour of the aspirants and officials to be engaged in the selection process.
Consequently, the BoT has forwarded its full recommendations to the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP for consideration,” the statement further explained.
Jibrin, whose tenure was renewed for another five years, urged BoT members to maintain their honour and integrity by remaining neutral in all the processes leading to the emergence of the candidate.
Those in the race for the presidential ticket of the PDP are former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; Sokoto state Governor, Aminu Tambuwal; Gombe state Governor, Ibrahim Dankwabo; Senate President Bukola Saraki; former Governor of Jigawa state, Sule Lamido; former Governor of Kaduna state, Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi; and a former Special Duties Minister, Tanimu Turaki, SAN.
Others are a former Senate President David Mark; a former Governor of Kano state, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso; a former Governor of Sokoto state, Attahiru Bafarawa; a former Plateau state Governor, Jonah Jang; and a former senator, Dr.
Baba Datti Ahmed.
PDP govs allege politicisation of security agencies Meanwhile, governors elected on the PDP platform have condemned in strong terms the alleged politicisation of security agencies in the country by the All Progressives Congress-led federal government.
Leader of the Forum and Ekiti state Governor, Peter Ayodele Fayose, briefed journalists after an emergency meeting held through Sunday to Monday at the Ekiti state Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja.
The governors claimed that security agencies have become organs and tools of the APC-led federal government to harass and intimidate the opposition and dissenting voices.
The Forum decries the alleged use of security agencies to perpetrate electoral fraud as “it happened in Ekiti, Osun and Rivers states,” and therefore urged the security agencies to be non-partisan in the performance of their duties in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.
It further condemned “the flagrant violation of democratic ethos by operatives of this government as shown recently in the infamous act by the Police at the residence of Elder Statesman, Pa Edwin Clark, and the harassment of innocent Nigerians across the country on frivolous claims.” The governors further noted that “the INEC needs to reinvent itself as a truly independent umpire of the electoral process in the country.
For now, we have no confidence in INEC.
The commission has conducted itself as a tool of the APC-led Federal Government, especially with the roles of the Chairman, Prof.
Mahmood Yakubu, and a National Commissioner, Mrs.
mina Zakari.” “The Forum condemned the surreptitious, selective and suspicious payment of N16 billion purportedly from the Paris Club Refund.
We are of the view that the money is to fund corrupt inducement of voters in the forthcoming governorship election in Osun state on September 22, 2018,” it added.
On 2019, the forum resolved “to have an all-inclusive meeting with all the presidential aspirants, with the National Chairman, two national officers of the party, and the leaders of the party in both chambers of the National Assembly in attendance.
“The group condemned unequivocally, the refusal or failure of the President to sign into law the amended electoral act thereby indicating that the President and his party are afraid of electronic voting or the introduction of technology into the electoral system,” Fayose claimed.

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