Two presidential aspirants on the platform of the
Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, are ready to lock
horns with the ruling party for saying they would not
get the forms after payments.
It was gathered that the national leadership of the
party refused to sell its presidential nomination and
expression of interest forms to the aspirants after
paying for the forms.
Two of the aspirants, Dr. Abdul-Jhalil Tafawa-
Balewa and Prof. Akasoba Duke-Abiola, were at the
national secretariat of the party in Abuja on
Tuesday to purchase the forms, but they were
turned back.
Punch reports that first to arrive was Tafawa-
Balewa, who hails from Bauchi State. He is also the
son of Nigeria’s First Republic Prime Minister, the
late Abubakar Tafawa-Balewa.
It will be recalled that all the levels of the party,
including the National Executive Council had
endorsed President Jonathan as its sole presidential
candidate.
Tafawa-Balewa had on September 21 frowned at
the action, saying nothing would stop him from
running for the presidential race.
He had asked, “What type of democracy do we
have? Is the PDP a communist party? Where is the
place of internal democracy?”
Report said a visibly angry Tafawa-Balewa stormed
the party’s national secretariat with his supporters
and bank tellers, with which he had hoped to
purchase the presidential nomination and
expression of interest forms.
The bank tellers indicated that he deposited N22m
into the account of the party with Zenith Bank.
The breakdown of the fees showed that he paid
N20m as nomination fee and another N2m for the
expression of interest form.
He paid the money into the party’s account Number
1012436478 with the Zenith Bank.
Rather than being issued his forms, the aspirant
claimed that he was told by officials of the party that
the forms were not ready.
Tafawa-Balewa said he was told that all other
forms were on sale except the presidential
nomination and expression of interest forms.
He said, “I have paid for my forms. I was, however,
told that they don’t have the forms ready. I am still
here. I will send some of my people here on
Thursday to come and pick the forms.”
He said he went to the office of the Secretary of the
party, Prof. Wale Oladipo, and the National
Organising Secretary, Alhaji Abubakar Mustapha,
but was denied the forms.
Also speaking on the refusal of the party to present
her with her forms, Duke-Abiola, who is one of the
widows of the late Chief MKO Abiola, described the
action of the party as questionable.
Abiola, who displayed the Diamond Bank Teller with
which she paid her N2m to the party’s bank
account, wondered why the party would issue her
receipts and refused to sell the forms to her.
Female aspirants, like her, are expected to pay just
N2m for the expression of interest form while the
nomination form is free for them.
The presidential aspirant said she was told by the
National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Adamu
Mu’azu that the party printed only one form.
She said, “I have the receipt from the party after
paying my money. But they said they printed only
one presidential nomination form, even though the
guidelines do not say that.
“The National Organizing Secretary and the National
Chairman said the party printed only one form. I
asked that they should give me the one they printed
to me since I was there. They laughed and said
whether I didn’t know who they printed it for. This is
a fraud.”
She said that she would not ask for a refund of her
money, but that the party must sell the forms to her.
In his reaction, the National Publicity Secretary of
the party, Chief Olisa Metuh, said he was not aware
that the aspirants came.
“I will have to find out from the national Organising
secretary, because I’m not directly involved in the
selling of that forms. I’m only involved in the
management of the image of the party”, he said.

their money will be used for GEJS campaign.Oga at the top says yes who wants to say no.Later the PDP will accuse APC of not conducting primary elections and now they did the same and deceitfully collected contestants money.