President Goodluck Jonathanand governors seeking second term on the platform of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may get automatic tickets to run in the 2015 general election, THISDAY gathered yesterday.

Already, some stakeholders and senior presidency officials are pushing the idea to give Jonathan and the governors the right of first refusal that will be followed by the affirmation of their candidacy at the party’s convention.

The right of first refusal is to allow a serving president and governors the opportunity to become the candidates of their party during elections without a primary election, as it is the situation in the United States of America, from where Nigeria copied the presidential system of government it is practising.

If the proponents of the idea are able to push it through, Jonathan and the governors of Kwara, Gombe, Kogi and Bayelsa States would not faceany party primary because allthey would need to do is to indicate their interest to seeka second term in office.

PDP and presidency sources told THISDAY that the idea is to solidify the cohesion in the party and reduce what they described as ‘unnecessary distraction’ from politicians.

A presidency source said: “Mark my words, there would be no presidential primary election in 2015 to choose the presidential candidate for the PDP. What we will have is just an affirmation congress.
“This is, however, subject to President Jonathan accepting to contest for the office of the president in the 2015 presidential election. The same would be applicable to governors elected on the platform of the party seekinga second term in office.

“We are working on the modalities for this, because there is the absolute need to allow the president and the governors concerned to remain focused to deliver the necessary dividends of democracy.

“There is no need to waste time and funds in organising presidential or governorship primaries for a serving president and governors. PDP must show the way in deepening our democracy by reducing rancour within the party and allow the presidentand all concerned to concentrate on their official duties without any distraction.”

THISDAY gathered that the option of first refusal would have great implications for governors of the party nursing presidential or vice-presidential ambition in 2015.
According to the source in the party, “we are aware of the said presidential ambition of some of the governors like Sule Lamido ofJigawa State, Babangida Aliyuof Niger State, Ibrahim Shema of Katsina State and Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State and the vice-presidential ambitions of Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State and Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom.

“The PDP is not worried about all these permutations.What is important is how to achieve unity and deliver unity within PDP to enable it to tackle the opposition political parties.”
THISDAY gathered that should the PDP go ahead with this option of first refusal, the governors said to be nursing presidential and vice-presidential ambitions for the 2015 presidential election may opt out of the party in order to realise their ambitions.

“Even when they opt out and join the opposition political parties, would the presidential tickets be given to them automatically? The opposition will see them as part and parcel of the PDP and therefore will not give their presidential tickets to them automatically,” the source said.

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/2015-primaries-pdp-considers-right-of-first-refusal-for-jonathan-govs/139128/

This takes the cake

Mass defection is looming in PDP

PDP should not tread this path o. Even kangaroo primary is ok.

FRESH AIR .. Is this news? nonsense..

There's no such thing as right of first refusal in the United States political scene as stated in the article.Nomination for political posts is open to all eligible party men regardless whether the incumbent is interested in contesting or not.Chrissakes,Ronald Reagan primaried Gerald Ford tho he lost.Same for Edward M.Kennedy who gave James Earl Carter a run for his money.Funny thing tho,both primaried incumbents went on to lose at the general election.
Candidates are affirmed in conventions/general or special elections,only if there's no one else interested in contesting those post either at the primary level or the election itself.An example is Senator Pryor of Arkansas who got nearly a 100% vote return cos no one challenged him for the party ticket or at the general election of 2008.
Even if there's only one candidate contesting unopposed,the electorate still have the liberty of writing in a candidate of their choice,if state electoral law allows it,and if the write-in candidate get most of the votes he/she wins.Example is Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska,who was re-elected via write-in votes at the 2010 mid-term election after she lost the Republican party primary n ticket to a Tea party backed candidate.

And how is this news as if their previous primaries too weren't selection. #FOHWB