The ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has today begun its two-day National Convention at Eagles Square, Abuja.

Top on the agenda of the convention is the ratification of President Goodluck Jonathan as the party’s candidate in the February 14 presidential election and that of Adamu Mu’azu and Wale Oladipo as the party’s national chairman and national secretary, respectively.

Over 3,050 delegates from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory are expected at the convention.

The delegates, according to the party’s spokesperson, Olisa Metuh, will be validating the candidacy of Mr. Jonathan on Thursday.

He had emerged the party’s sole presidential candidate in November, amid controversy over challengers, Jelil Tafawa Balewa, son of Nigeria’s former Prime Minister, and Akasoba Duke-Abiola, widow of the late Moshood Abiola.
The president had been adopted by all the organs of the party, including its governors.

However, Mr. Jonathan’s adoption will still be ratified through the process of election in line with Section 87 of the Electoral Act to avoid litigations that could lead to the disqualification of the president from the impending contest.

On his part, Mr. Mu’azu, a former governor of Bauchi State, was appointed the PDP national chairman in January following the resignation of Bamanga Tukur from the position.

The last presidential primary of the PDP held on January 14, 2011, at the same venue, Eagles Square.

In that election, Mr. Jonathan slugged it out with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Sarah Jubril.

The result announced by the Chief Returning Officer, Tunde Adeniran, a former education minister,

Jonathan polled 2,736 votes to beat Mr. Abubakar who got 805 votes while Mrs. Jubril got one vote.

Mr. Abubakar has since defected

Progressives Congress, APC, on whose platform he is contesting the primary today in Lagos. He is running against four other aspirants.

The president, who went ahead to win the main presidential election, compensated Mrs. Jubril with an appointment as Senior Special Adviser to the President on Ethics and Values.

PREMIUM TIMES will bring you LIVE UPDATES of today’s convention at Eagles Square.

LIVEBLOG

16.49 The convention has kicked off. The Chairman of the Convetion Planning Commitee, Bello Mohammed, a former acting national chairman of the PDP, has conlduded his welcome address. He wished the delegates successful convention.
16.49 President Goodluck Jonathan and wife, Patience, are already seated at the Eagles Square, Abuja, as the PDP presidential primary gets underway. Vice President Namadi Sambo and wife, Amina, are also seated. Other dignitaries include Senate President, David Mark, and PDP chairman, Adamu Mu'azu.
16.50 The Chairman of the Electoral Sub-Committee, addresses the convention on the guidelines to be used for the election. He said there is only one aspirant to the office of the president since two others voluntarily withdrew. He however said there candidates for some vacant party offices. He is now reading out the names of the returning officers for the 36 states. 16.50 The convention has kicked off. The Chairman of the Convetion Planning Commitee, Bello Mohammed, a former acting national chairman of the PDP, has conlduded his welcome address. He wished the delegates successful convention.
17.22 PDP delegates queuing for screening outside the Eagle Square in Abuja just before the convention started

18.01 The PDP convention has been on break for almost an hour now with several artistes performing.
18.02 The MC announces that the convention will soon begin to receive goodwill messages from party leaders.
18.19 Voting has started in Abuja. Bauchi State Governor, Isa Yuguda has been asked to lead President Goodluck Jonathan to the Bayelsa State stand to vote. Mr. Yuguda is the Returning Officer for Bayelsa State Both of them accompanied by his wife, Pateince, Governor Seriake Dickson and others are now on their way to Bayelsa stand
18.44 President Jonathan and concluded voting and have walked back to their seats at the VIP stand. Voting in progress

Source: http://www.premiumtimesng.com/investigationspecial-reports/172890-nigeria2015-pdp-presidential-primaries-live-updates.html

18.44
President Jonathan and Vice Presidentconcluded voting and have walked back to their seats at the VIP stand. Voting in progress.

19.43
Voting to ratify the appointments of the National Chairman, Adamu Mu'azu, the National Secretary, Wale Oladipo and the National Auditor has been concluded. The Electoral Committee headed by a former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, is soritng out the votes and will announce the outcome soon.

20.03
The crowd just went wild and ecstatic with the p

issokay

Like Seriously? what a misleading topic.
Presidential Primaries ko, Presikacia Primaries ni. Mtweee!

Presidential primaries All to bring back the most clueless president in the world.

How does this relate with presidential primaries? It should be convention bro.

This is where pdp looses out to Apc because they just bite the finger that feed them

THE WATCH BY OBJ

charly4tex:
Like Seriously? what a misleading topic.
Presidential Primaries ko, Presikacia Primaries ni. Mtweee!

If you like call it presidential primaries or secondary, all I know is GEJ till 2019.

emirateprince:
This is where pdp looses out to Apc because they just bite the finger that feed them

THE WATCH BY OBJ

Obasanjo is now the finger that feed PDP abi?
Your stupidity knows no bounds.

PhockPhockMan:
If you like call it presidential primaries or secondary, all I know is GEJ till 2019.

easy bro, am 4 GEJ, d topic is misleading, plain truth.

whether the topic misleading or not gej till 2019. let vote gej together

charly4tex:

easy bro, am 4 GEJ, d topic is misleading, plain truth.

Sorry bro, but I hardly know you.

PhockPhockMan:
Obasanjo is now the finger that feed PDP abi?
Your stupidity knows no bounds.

Yes look at this country very well sleeping maggot, are you sure you are a Nigerian
Bloody Ghanaian like u

emirateprince:

Yes look at this country very well sleeping maggot, are you sure you are a Nigerian
Bloody Ghanaian like u

See who is calling me Ghanaian. You resemble small stout at your profile picture.

Ikpu Nne gi.

PhockPhockMan:
See who is calling me Ghanaian. You resemble small stout at your profile picture.

Ikpu Nne gi.

Ewu anu nmpama, Ikpu nma gi.

PhockPhockMan:
Sorry bro, but I hardly know you.

you don't need to, just respect people opinion, and stop counter attack to avoid derailing the topic in question.