presidential candidature Friday, 07 November 2014 14:50 137 0 FORMER prime minister Sir Abubakar Tafawa-Balewas son Dr Abdul Jhalil has withdrawn from the race to become the Peoples Democratic Partys (PDP) presidential candidate and decided to back President Goodluck Jonathan. Last month, Dr Tafawa-Balewa was involved in a bitter spat with the PDP high command after the party refused to give him a nomination form despite him having paid the N22m (£83,000) fee for it. He was told that only one such form was printed, which was for President Goodluck Jonathan as he had been adopted as the partys sole presidential candidate. Unhappy with the development, Dr Tafawa-Balewa had planned to drag the PDP top court, insisting that he be sold a form as he had a democratic right to stand being a bonafide PDP member. Eventually, party chiefs buckled and agreed to sell him the form, so he could present himself as a candidate at the partys December 6 convention in Abuja. However, it appears that the former premiers son has bowed to pressure to shelve his presidential ambitions. After a meeting with PDP elder statesman Chief Edwin Clark in Abuja yesterday, Dr Balewa appeared to accept a compromise deal. Chief Clark said: “I wish to inform you that I have succeeded in intervening to make peace between two of my sons, Dr Jhalil Tafawa-Balewa and Dr Goodluck Jonathan. Dr Jhalil Tafawa-Balewa had indicated his intention to contest the presidential primaries on the platform of the PDP against the decision of the party to give President Jonathan the right of first refusal and unfortunately this issue was to generate unnecessary public distraction as detractors jumped to capitalise on it to make unfounded commentaries. The relationship between Dr Jhalil Tafawa-Balewa and President Goodluck Jonathan dates back to 2005 when the latter was the deputy governor of Bayelsa state and the same relationship continued in Abuja, when Dr Jonathan became the president. In deference to their old ties, Dr Jhalil, has formally withdrawn his aspiration to contest the presidential election in the 2015 general elections.” On the fee paid for expression of interest form by Dr Tafawa-Balewa, Dr Clark said it was a sacrifice for friendship. he also condemned the actions of some governors who wield so much authority and power that they appear to hold the entire political process hostage. - See more at: nigerianwatch/news/5738-tafawa-balewas-son-backs-down-and-supports-goodluck-presidential-candidature#sthash.A1s2Mwhq.iVqVHkfi.dpuf
Posted on: Sat, 08 Nov 2014 18:06:18 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015