PDP publishes guidelines that will govern its forthcoming presidential primary elections

NIGERIA'S main opposition the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has agreed on the modalities for next weekend's presidential primaries taking place in the Rivers State capital Port Harcourt in a bid to ensure the process is free and transparent.

Next February, Nigeria goes to the polls and with President Muhammadu Buhari certain to emerge as the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the country looks set for a close two-horse race. Among the PDP candidates seeking the party presidential ticket include Atiku Abubakar, Rabiu Kwankwaso, Aminu Tambuwal, Bukola Saraki, Ibrahim Dankwambo, Sule Lamido, Tanimu Turaki, Attahiru Bafarawa, Jonah Jang, Ahmed Datti and David Mark.

PDP spokesman Kola Ologbondiyan, said that under plans being put in place, each of the 12 presidential aspirants will  nominate four persons into the accreditation and the electoral committees. He explained that each of the aspirants will nominate two persons to serve in the two committees.

According to Mr Ologbondiyan, the move is to ensure that none of the aspirants is left in the dark in the process leading to the convention. Furthermore, according to Mr Ologbondiyan, besides involving the aspirants in the process, the party wanted to prove to the whole world that the PDP would always be democratic in the conduct of its internal affairs.

Mr Ologbondiyan said: “The National Working Committee (NWC) has chosen to broaden the aspirants’ participation by providing them with the opportunity to nominate two people each into the accreditation and electoral committees respectively. Each of the presidential aspirant will nominate two people into the accreditation committee and another two into electoral committee.

"This is to ensure that none of the aspirants is left in the dark as to what the party is doing concerning the convention. The PDP will publish names of all the delegates and make same available to our presidential aspirants before the convention.”

He assured that the PDP will produce a candidate with the capacity to quickly revamp the Nigerian economy upon election as president. Mr Ologbondiyan assured delegates that the leadership of the PDP will maintain neutrality in the choice of the party’s flag bearer, pointing out that it is the transparency of the process that would enhance the chances of the party in the 2019 presidential election.

“The PDP has no interest in a particular aspirant and we are hopeful that whoever emerges on Saturday will be a man with the economic wizardry to turn around the fortunes of this country. The party is out to make sure we have a credible primary election and the process will be clean, transparent and acceptable to majority of Nigerians," Mr Ologbondiyan added.

He also allayed any fears of a possible post-convention crisis, saying that should any disagreement arise, the party has an effective internal conflict resolution mechanism to deal with it. By Saturday evening, the winner of the election will be known in what is proving to be a tight race.