[Mhiz Rebecca]

The Peoples Democratic Party has outlined how its 2019
presidential candidate will emerge.
In a 40-page document titled ‘Electoral Guideline for the
PDP, Directorate of Organisation and Mobilisation’,
exclusively obtained by SUNDAY PUNCH in Abuja on
Saturday, the party said its presidential aspirants are to
pay a total sum of N12m for both nomination and
expression of interest forms, respectively.
However, female aspirants are to pay only N2m for
expression of interest form as they are exempted from
the payment of N10m nomination fee.
The document that explained these modalities was
signed by the National Chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche
Secondus and the National Secretary of the party,
Senator Umaru Tsauri.
The party said all aspirants are to swear to an oath to
abide by the decisions of the party on the conduct of its
primary elections.
The document said each aspirant must be nominated by
not less than “60 persons from at least two-thirds of all
the states of the federation who shall be registered
voters in their respective local government areas and
also registered members of the party.”
The document added, “A copy of the voter’s registration
card of the aspirant shall be attached to the duly
completed nomination form.
“To be accompanied by a sworn declaration made before
a Commissioner of Oaths or notary public; undertaking
to abide by the guidelines, all laws and any rules or
regulations made by the party for the conduct of the
primary elections.
“The decision of the National Executive Committee of the
party on all primary elections shall be final and binding.”
The party stated that its NEC would appoint a
Presidential Screening Committee on the
recommendation of the NWC.
The committee, it said “shall consist of a chairman and
eight others. One from each geo-political zone, plus two
women (one from the North and another from the
South).”
It added that aggrieved aspirants, who fail the screening
exercise, would be free to appeal to a panel that would
be led by Secondus, which will also include all other
members of the NWC.
On the payment of fees, the party said, “An aspirant
shall obtain the expression of interest forms code
PD002/P upon payment of the non-refundable fee of
N2m from the national secretariat of the party or such
place as may be designated by the NWC of the party,
and, on completion, return same to the national
secretariat.
“An aspirant shall obtain Nomination Form code PD003/P
from the national secretariat of the party or such other
place designated by the NWC of the party and evidenced
upon payment of the prescribed non-refundable fee of
N10m, save that female aspirants shall be exempted
from the payment of the prescribed nomination fee.”
The document added that all the aspirants must be “duly
registered financial members of the party.”
It was however silent on the modalities to determine the
financial status of the aspirants.
While it said the presidential candidate would emerge
through “modified open secret system,” it also added
that the “aspirant with the highest number of votes at
the end of voting shall be declared the winner of the
primary.”
The document was however silent on the date and
venue of the special national convention where the
candidate would emerge.
The party indicated that the “date and venue for the
convention would be made known, at least seven days
before the event (convention).”
Part of the qualifications listed for its presidential
aspirants are that they must be citizens of Nigeria by
birth and that they must not be below the age of 40.
The aspirants are also expected to be registered voters
and must attach a copy of their voter card and
registration cards to their duly completed form code
PD003/P.
Among those who have declared their intention to run
for Presidency on the platform of the PDP are a former
Vice President, Atiku Abubakar; a former Governor of
Kano State, Ibrahim Shekarau; Governor of Gombe State,
Ibrahim Dankwambo; Governor of Ekiti State, Ayo
Fayose; and a former Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu
Turaki (SAN).
There are unconfirmed reports that a few members of
the ruling All Progressives Congress may defect to the
former ruling party to vie for its presidential ticket.
I may sue political parties over nomination fees –Falana
Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), on
Saturday, restated his opposition to the sale of
nomination forms to aspirants for elective offices by
political parties.
Falana, in an interview with SUNDAY PUNCH, threatened
to take legal action against political parties that were still
selling nomination forms to aspirants despite previous
court judgments prohibiting such payment.
Falana, had last week, in Lagos, during the one-day
national electoral summit, organised by the Transition
Monitoring Group with support from the United
Kingdom’s Department for International Development,
railed against the commercialisation of nomination forms
by political parties.
He regretted that despite President Muhammadu Buhari
expressing disappointment that he took a loan of N27m
to buy the APC nomination form during the 2015
elections, he had not been able to change the guideline.
Falana took on the political parties on Saturday while
also indicating his intention to sue them if they
continued in the act.
He said, “The conditions for contesting elections from
local government, to the House of Assembly,
governorship, House of Representatives, Senate and
presidential levels, are all in the constitution.
“There are decisions of the court to the effect that the
Independent National Electoral Commission and state
electoral commissions cannot collect fees from
candidates who are contesting elections.
“So, if I am going to contest election, you can’t ask me
to pay N27m as nomination fee because that is unknown
to the constitution.
“Therefore, the parties cannot decide their own rules.
They cannot impose prohibitive rules that will restrict the
participation in the contest of an election to moneybags.
“Of course, we may have to sue the political parties if
they continue this illegality. We cannot go on like this.”
He added that aggrieved aspirants should be encouraged
to sue their parties.
“Aggrieved party members should be encouraged to
challenge the prohibitive nomination fees imposed on
aspirants by political parties.
“I believe any citizen, who meets the requirements
outlined in the Constitution, is qualified to contest any
election. Political parties cannot add to the constitutional
requirements.”