2015: PDP Reverses Self, Opens Presidential Contest To All

The Peoples Democratic Party on Monday called on aspirants interested in

contesting the 2015 presidential election to come forward to the party`s
national secretariat to pick the nomination and expression of interest
forms, in what is a reversal of its policy of having only President
Goodluck Jonathan as its only presidential aspirant.

This is contained in a statement issued by Mr Olisa Metuh, the party’s
National Publicity Secretary in Abuja.

“All aspirants who paid for nomination forms, including the Presidential
Form, but yet to collect same should come to the PDP National Secretariat
with verifiable evidence of payment for purposes of collection of their
forms,’’ the statement said.

It, however, said aspirants to all positions for the 2015 general
elections should note that the deadline for the purchase and collection of
all nomination forms had been extended to November 6.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the PDP National Executive
Committee (NEC) and its other organs had earlier adopted President
Goodluck Jonathan as the party`s sole presidential candidate for 2015
presidential election.

It would be recalled that Dr. Abdul Jhalil Tafawa-Balewa, son of Nigeria`s
first Prime Minister, Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa-Balewa, had earlier paid for
the PDP presidential forms to contest the election in 2015.

Prof. Akasuba Abiola, wife of late business mogul, M.K.O. Abiola was also
at the party`s headquarters earlier to pick the forms for the presidency.

The two aspirants had alleged at separate interviews with newsmen that
though they paid the required fees to purchase the forms, the PDP
leadership denied them the forms.

The National Executive Committee of the PDP, had on September 18 adopted
President Jonathan as its sole candidate for the 2015 election.

It thereafter declined to sell presidential nomination forms to aspirants
interested in the position.