The ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, National Working Committee, NWC, has issued a warning to all its state chapters. The warning which was contained in a statement issued on Thursday by the National Secretary of the party, Wale Oladipo, ordered the party’s state chapters to stop consensus governorship candidates, and declared such development null and void, Premium Times reports. PDP National Chairman, Adamu Muazu The party’s National Working Committee, NWC, also warned state governors elected on the platform of the party to stop the recommendation of sole candidate to succeed them in the 2015 election. According to the NWC, some elected officers of the party at the state level continued to engage in processes aimed at endorsing candidates for the 2015 general elections. It said they had been warned by the party’s national leadership that they, as unbiased umpires, should not be involved in such act. It would be recalled that chief Olisa Metuh, PDP’s National Publicity Secretary had last week issued a statement that though the party would not stop individuals, groups or communities from endorsing persons of their choice, “the national leadership wishes to restate in the strongest possible terms that elected party officials at the state, local government and ward levels must not be involved in such, as they must remain as unbiased umpires in the nomination process.” The party’s national secretary further explained that due to the avoidance of doubt, only the National Executive Committee, NEC, as an organ of the party can officially endorse a candidate under the PDP constitution. He said all party officials at all levels are expected to be guided by the directives. Meanwhile, Ebonyi State Governor, Martin Elechi had recently endorsed the current Minister of Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu as his successor, while his Enugu State counterpart, Governor Sullivan Chime had also revealed that the state PDP chapter had endorsed a current member of the House of Representative, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi as his successor. Also, Governor Muazu Aliyu of Niger State had hinted that the people of the state would soon know who the PDP endorsed as its gubernatorial candidate for the 2015 general elections in the next one week. Governor Aliyu was said to have given the assurance at his Minna residence during Sallah homage from PDP members from zone `B’ area of the state. Reacting to these developments, the party’s national secretary disclosed that: “PDP strongly frowns at this development and issues this as a final warning to all elected party officials and chapters at all levels, and shall not hesitate to sanction such erring officers or chapters.” He insisted that the sanctity of PDP’s nomination processes must be protected at all times. “We therefore wish to assure all party members that there shall be a level playing ground for all aspirants intending to participate in the nomination processes. Consequently, the NWC will not hesitate to protect any of our members who in any way stand to be short changed, cheated or victimized by such endorsements,” he said. The party’s national secretary urged all its members and supporters to disregard those endorsements because the party will conduct primaries to duly elect its flag bearers in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act and the constitution of great party. Meanwhile, the party’s National Executive Committee, NEC, last month adopted President Goodluck Jonathan as its sole candidate for the February 2015 general elections. It is believed that endorsement by state governors is on the heels of the decision by all organs of the party except the National convention to adopt President Goodluck Jonathan as the sole candidate to contest second term in office in the 2015 general polls.
Posted on: Sat, 11 Oct 2014 20:13:09 +0000
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