THE battle for the presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has picked up as the party fixes its primaries for May 28 – 29 2022.
The PDP, the main opposition party has 17 aspirants, which were screened last week, by the party’s Screening Committee.
The chairman of the committee, David Mark, a former Senate President, disclosed that two presidential aspirants were disqualified from participating in its forthcoming primary election after the screening exercise.
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Mark, who refused to disclose the names of the two disqualified aspirants, said they did not meet the party’s requirements for the position they were vying for.
The disqualified aspirants are expected to forfeit the N40 million they paid for the expression of interest and nomination forms.
Other members of the screening committee are former governor of Rivers State Celestine Omehia; a lawyer Mike Ahamba; a former Ondo State governor Olusegun Mimiko; Edward Ashiekaa, a legal practitioner and a women advocate; Hilda Makonto, a former presidential aide Akilu Indabawa, Esther Uduehi, and Hassana Dikko.
However, the party’s chairman Iyorchia Ayu eventually stated that Cosmas Ndukwe and a medical doctor, Nwachukwu Anakwenze were the disqualified aspirants.
Furthermore, the party’s appeal committee upheld the disqualification of the two aspirants.
The party has said it made over N640 million on the sales of presidential nomination forms.
Those who purchased the forms include Sokoto State governor Aminu Tambuwal; a United States-based medical doctor Nwachukwu Anakwenze; a media entrepreneur Dele Momodu; governor of Rivers State Nyesom Wike, a banker and economist Mohammed Hayatu-Deen; former governor of Anambra State Peter Obi; governor of Akwa Ibom State Udom Emmanuel.
Others are a pharmacist Sam Ohuabunwa, former Ekiti governor Ayo Fayose, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; a former Senate President Abubakar Bukola Saraki; former Secretary to the Government of the Federation and former Senate President Anyim Pius Anyim, Collins Ndukwe, a former Deputy Speaker of Abia State House of Assembly and Commissioner for Trade and Commercegovernor of Bauchi State Bala Mohammed and a female aspirant, Tari Oba Oliver.
Other aspirants screened were Cosmos Ndukwe, a former Deputy Speaker of Abia State House of Assembly and Chikwendu Kalu – former Speaker, Abia State House of Assembly.
According to one of the aspirants, Anyim, the screening was designed to verify the aspirants’ membership and financial status among other records.
There has been a clamour for the party to zone its presidential ticket to the South and also there were moves to arrive at consensus candidates.
The national executive committee (NEC) of the PDP is expected to meet on May 10 to discuss issues affecting the party, including zoning its presidential ticket.
Here is the list of the fifteen PDP Presidential aspirants that will be battling it out for the party’s ticket later in May:
- Aminu Tambuwa, Sokoto State governorl – Sokoto state/North West
- Dele Momodu, A media entrepreneur – Edo state/South-South.
- Nyesom Wike, Governor of Rivers State – River state/South-South
- Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, A banker and economist – Borno State/North East
- Peter Obi, A former governor of Anambra State, – Anambra state/South East
- Udom Emmanuel, Governor of Akwa Ibom State – Akwa Ibom state/ South-South
- Sam Ohuabunwa, A pharmacist – Abia state/ Southeast
- A former Ekiti governor Ayo Fayose – Ekiti state/South West
- A former Vice President Atiku Abubakar – Adamawa state/North East
- Abubakar Bukola Saraki, A former Senate President- Kwara state/North Central
- Anyim Pius Anyim, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation and former Senate President – Ebonyi state/South East
- Bala Mohammed, Governor of Bauchi State – Bauchi state/North East
- Tari Oba Oliver, Only female aspirant – Imo state /South East
- Chikwendu Kalu – forme Speaker,r Abia State House of Assembly- Abia state/Southeast
- Ugwu Charles Okwudili, Legal practitioner – Imo state/Southeast
A reporter with the ICIR
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