A fresh crisis is brewing in the Peoples
Democratic Party over the insistence of some of
its members to contest its presidential primary
with President Goodluck Jonathan.
But the national leadership of the party has
refused to sell its presidential nomination and
expression of interest forms to two other
presidential aspirants.
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.
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 caucuses of the
party, including the National Executive Council
had endorsed President Jonathan as its sole
presidential candidate.
Tafawa-Balewa had on September 21
condemned the action, which he said was a plot
by the leadership of the party to frustrate other
presidential aspirants.
He insisted that he would not be intimidated by
such a decision and vowed not to be cowed.
He wondered the type of democracy that was
being practised by the PDP.
He had asked, “What type of democracy do we
have? Is the PDP a communist party? Where is
the place of internal democracy?”
On Tuesday, 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.
The party is expected to stop the selling of forms
to all the aspirants on Thursday (tomorrow).
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. No matter, 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.
Asked whether he was not aware that all the
party organs had endorsed the President,
Tafawa-Balewa said those organs were mere
little organs of the party and were not superior
to its Constitution.
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.
Displaying the Diamond Bank Teller with which
she paid her N2m to the party’s bank account,
Duke-Abiola 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 party claimed it took the decision to
encourage female aspirants to run for elective
offices.
The presidential aspirant said she was told by
the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Adamu
Mu’azu and Mustapha 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 NOS and the National Chairman said the
party printed only one form. I asked that they
should give 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, having paid for them since she said
there was vacancy in Aso Rock.
In his reaction, the National Publicity Secretary
of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh, said he was not
aware that the aspirants came.
He said he would need to find out from
Mustapha before he could react to the
allegations.
Asked if the party would sell presidential forms
to other aspirants, he said he would also consult
Mustapha.
“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. www.punchng.com/news/after-collecting-their-n24m-pdp-rejects-two-presidential-aspirants/

PDP ought to conduct primary election .

Ok, I ll b right back

From the link from punch "He was told that all other forms are for sale except the presidential form and he still went ahead to deposit money into the accoun" what kind of daftness is this are this the type of people that want to rule us? Such people are found in APC (Abokina people congress)

Lmao. PDP: le party de fraudstas.

LoL...like my eastern bros, them even dey defraud each other..

Why didn‘t they deposit the money in my account? I am now into the marketing of forms.

This money dia are sharing dia is God o.

[b][/b]I keep on wondering d kind of democracy we are practising in Nigeria especially PDP, d president has succeeded in killing zoning which he is part and percil of d deal, now he has use all strategy especially TAN to block any aspirant from d north. We are suffering and smiling, I pity Nigerians especially d poor

If u say Gudluck is ur Messiah then corruption, incompitence, cluelessness, and sucking inocent blood is ur Messiah, u should by now no where u belong to. I rest my case