There are indications that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party may, after all do away with its age long tradition of conducting primaries for all elective positions and, instead; endorse the incumbent president and incumbent governors seeking re-election as its flag bearers in the forthcoming 2015 elections.

The chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT), Chief Tony Anenih, gave the hint when he spoke late Thursday night at a forum tagged PDP Family Dinner held for the party stalwarts at the Banquet Hall of the State Hose, Abuja.

But in a swift reaction, the Arewa Consultative Forum said it would amount to a mockery of democracy if the ruling party decides not to conduct primaries for some elective positions for the 2015 polls.

According to Anenih, sharp divisions over the outcome of primaries in the past have created serious problem for the party and its members.

Big wigs of the PDP had converged in Abuja to wine and dine in an attempt to revive the party, which in recent times have been battling with internal wrangling.
Seeking the legitimisation of his opinion on the jettisoning of primaries, the BOT Chair said the party must evolve a new system of producing "our flag bearers that will preserve our unity and the President and governors seeking second term should be given automatic tickets."

Anenih also told participants that the current situation whereby two of the party members are laying claims to the leadership of the Nigerian Governors Forum was unacceptable and must be addressed urgently.

Anenih, who said the survival of the party hung on the balance, noted: "Having two chairmen in the Nigerian Governors Forum and both of them are PDP members is embarrassing and must be addressed. We cannot preside over a divided house and I urged the PDP leadership to step in and address the situation."

But the chairman of the party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, followed a different path by openly declaring that Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau was the new chairman of the NGF. Jang later led 14 of the governors to a meeting with President Jonathan yesterday morning.
Jang, who insisted that he was the legitimate chairman of the NGF, told journalists after the Friday meeting that the governors met the president to felicitate with him on his achievements after two years in office and discussed the security challenges in the country.

President Goodluck Jonathan, who spoke last at the dinner, in the early hours of yesterday, also posited that controversies in politics was a healthy development that strengthen affiliations, stressing that criticism of the ruling party by the opposition political parties should not cause it any worry.

The president said: "if opposition keeps holding meeting then you should smile; if they don't you should be uncomfortable. If the opposition abuses the President you should sleep well; if they don't you should be worried.

"PDP is not built on the platform of conspiracy. We don't believe in conspiracy. We must continue to unite. Sometimes family members disagree; why we continue to win at elections is because we have a way of settling our differences at the 11th hour. We must continue to work together and resolve our differences; then we will continue to win elections."

The spokesman of the ACF, Anthony Sani, said the proposal by the PDP to give incumbents automatic tickets in 2015 would be against the Electoral Act, which prescribes internal democracy in the political parties.
According to him, the Act prescribes that even if there is only one candidate for a position, the members of the party must vote "yes or no".
http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/jonathan-may-skip-party-s-primaries-in-2015-race/149082/

That can't not be true...i don't think GEJ is this undemocratic, i still consider him as a gentle man...

PDP must not be allowed to tow the path of ACN. The traditional of conducting primaries must be maintained.

Afam4eva: PDP must not be allowed to tow the path of ACN. The traditional of conducting primaries must be maintained.

Exactly. Primaries are part and parcel of the democratic process. In the US, the Parties hold primaries even when d incumbent President is running for re-election.

these bloody politrickians again

Shey na 2015 . What do you expect when the north has planed all sorts of evil to execute in 2015 if they don't come back to power.

OP, abeg this is old news. Tell us something new.

He knows it will be more plausible for a camel to enter into the eye of the needle than for him to win the primaries

What is the INEC policy/constitution on electing/selecting candidates within parties? Are party primaries necessary or would a party be acting within the ambit of the law if they choose to do away with such exercise?

Mr Fix it is at work!

Very funny but interesting development.

Politics is Nigeria stinks more than stunk. Primaries should not be relegated please.

Undisputed champion!!!-

JONA IS AFRAID OF FAILURE AT THE PRIMARY LEVEL. BUT EVEN AT THAT, HE WILL NOT PASS THE MAIN ELECTION EVEN IF AUTOMATIC TICKET IS GIVEN TO HIM BY THE PDP RIGGERS SHEKINA.

Afam4eva: PDP must not be allowed to tow the path of ACN. The traditional of conducting primaries must be maintained.

What is this clown talking about? Bloody PDP agent parading himself as moderator.

CFCfan:
Exactly. Primaries are part and parcel of the democratic process. In the US, the Parties hold primaries even when d incumbent President is running for re-election.

Who contested against Obama in the Democrats primaries?
My view on this? Subject everyone to the rigours and test of the primaries and let whoever loses goes home quietly except if it‘s not enshrined in the party constitution.

How will Jona-dumbo win the Presidential election when he is even afraid of his party's primary election. He doesn't want to be JANGulairised?

Afam4eva: PDP must not be allowed to tow the path of ACN. The traditional of conducting primaries must be maintained.

Sure thing. PDP is a democratic party. Trust me, a primaries will be conducted in 2015.

Afam4eva: PDP must not be allowed to tow the path of ACN. The traditional of conducting primaries must be maintained.

who in dis world made u a moderator....... yuuuk... GEJ wld lose 2015 election

Why do we need primaries when we already know who can win election for us ?

The objective of Primaries is to ascertain which candidate is more popular within the Party and as I type this, there is no other candidate that can win 2015 for us in PDP than Jonathan Ebele Goodluck Azikiwe (JEGA).

[size=18pt]FRESH AIR!!!!!![/size]

PDP - Power2dPeople!

nkem Kalu: JONA IS AFRAID OF FAILURE AT THE PRIMARY LEVEL. BUT EVEN AT THAT, HE WILL NOT PASS THE MAIN ELECTION EVEN IF AUTOMATIC TICKET IS GIVEN TO HIM BY THE PDP RIGGERS SHEKINA.

This is the kind of statement that makes ur type appear as numbskulls. Where is it written that he will lose as you‘ve boldly proclaimed?
You may not want to vote for him but don‘t discount million others who are ready to lay down their lives for him. Politics is not mathematics where 1 always equals 1.

I reserve my comment till 2015

E go hard oo!

dridowu: I reserve my comment till 2015

Thank you jare. 2013 never finish and already these people who are bored because they are clueless about nation building are already talking about 2015 PRIMARY.

Too bad

Afam4eva: PDP must not be allowed to tow the path of ACN. The[b] traditional[/b] of conducting primaries must be maintained.

I think the word should be 'tradition' and not 'traditional'

Huh

[quote
author=Billionaires]Why do we need primaries when we already know who
can win election for us ?

The objective of Primaries is to ascertain which candidate is more
popular within the Party and as I type this, there is no other candidate
that can win 2015 for us in PDP than Jonathan Ebele Goodluck Azikiwe
(JEGA).

[size=18pt]FRESH AIR!!!!!![/size]

PDP - Power2dPeople![/quote] JEGA indeed!

Does ACN conduct primaries

PDP is free to adopt any system, just make the real election free and fair.

Bunch of criminals living in a fool's paradise! Who's going 2 waste his vote on a clueless cowboy? Mtchewwww!

The end is near for PDP