Obasanjo shuns party convention
Abuja, the nation’s capital was yesterday agog as 373,000 delegates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) assembled to ratify the positions of three of the party’s national officers.
At its presidential convention held at Eagles Square in Abuja, delegates from across the country voted for Adamu Mu’azu, Prof. Wale Oladipo and Adewole Adeyanju, as substantive national chairman, national secretary and national auditor of the party respectively.
Mu’azu had emerged last January as the acting national chairman following the resignation of erstwhile national chairman, Bamanga Tukur. Prof. Oladipo and Alhaji Adeyanju emerged as acting national secretary and auditor as a result of court pronouncements, which nullified the election of former Osun State governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Bode Mustapha as national secretary and national auditor respectively.
Former Senate president, Ken Nnamani, who was deputy national chairman of the convention planning committee had called for commencement of voting for election of the three national officers at 6pm, with delegates voting ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ on distributed ballot papers.
President Goodluck Jonathan and the First Lady, Patience Jonathan were led to the Bayelsa stand by the state Governor, Seriake Dickson and Bauchi State governor, who was the returning officer for Bayelsa State.
Nnamani further announced that the election of President Goodluck Jonathan as sole presidential candidate of the party for the 2015 general elections would commence immediately after the electoral endorsement of the trio of Mu’azu, Oladipo and Adeyanju.
He told the gathering of party faithful that two other contenders for the presidential ticket, Abdul Jelil Tafawa Balewa and Prof. Akasoba Duke Abiola voluntarily withdrew from the race.
Nnamani said: “Two other people bought presidential nomination forms but they realised the need to give the president a chance, and also so as not to divide the party, they willingly, voluntarily decided to support a single candidate.”
The party’s National Executive Committee at its last meeting in Abuja adopted incumbent President, Goodluck Jonathan as its sole presidential candidate for the 2015 election.
The special convention held last night where delegates voted for President Jonathan was to fulfil the requirement of the party guidelines which stipulated that its candidates for elective offices must emerge through transparent primary election and convention.
Daily Sun checks revealed that former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo was absent at the event.
At the end of voting, Senator Nnamani, who was the returning officer, announced the election of Mu”azu, Oladipo and Adeyanju as national chairman, national secretary and national auditor respectively.
At its presidential convention held at Eagles Square in Abuja, delegates from across the country voted for Adamu Mu’azu, Prof. Wale Oladipo and Adewole Adeyanju, as substantive national chairman, national secretary and national auditor of the party respectively.
Mu’azu had emerged last January as the acting national chairman following the resignation of erstwhile national chairman, Bamanga Tukur. Prof. Oladipo and Alhaji Adeyanju emerged as acting national secretary and auditor as a result of court pronouncements, which nullified the election of former Osun State governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Bode Mustapha as national secretary and national auditor respectively.
Former Senate president, Ken Nnamani, who was deputy national chairman of the convention planning committee had called for commencement of voting for election of the three national officers at 6pm, with delegates voting ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ on distributed ballot papers.
President Goodluck Jonathan and the First Lady, Patience Jonathan were led to the Bayelsa stand by the state Governor, Seriake Dickson and Bauchi State governor, who was the returning officer for Bayelsa State.
Nnamani further announced that the election of President Goodluck Jonathan as sole presidential candidate of the party for the 2015 general elections would commence immediately after the electoral endorsement of the trio of Mu’azu, Oladipo and Adeyanju.
He told the gathering of party faithful that two other contenders for the presidential ticket, Abdul Jelil Tafawa Balewa and Prof. Akasoba Duke Abiola voluntarily withdrew from the race.
Nnamani said: “Two other people bought presidential nomination forms but they realised the need to give the president a chance, and also so as not to divide the party, they willingly, voluntarily decided to support a single candidate.”
The party’s National Executive Committee at its last meeting in Abuja adopted incumbent President, Goodluck Jonathan as its sole presidential candidate for the 2015 election.
The special convention held last night where delegates voted for President Jonathan was to fulfil the requirement of the party guidelines which stipulated that its candidates for elective offices must emerge through transparent primary election and convention.
Daily Sun checks revealed that former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo was absent at the event.
At the end of voting, Senator Nnamani, who was the returning officer, announced the election of Mu”azu, Oladipo and Adeyanju as national chairman, national secretary and national auditor respectively.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please drop your comments below. We really do appreciate comments. The comment box is below