Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Fixes Dates For Primaries.

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party is to

emerge on December 6.

Also, the party has fixed October 29 for the conduct of its governorship primaries in the country.

This decision was taken after the meeting the leadership of the party had with the President and some governors of the party, which was held at the presidential villa in Abuja on Tuesday night.

The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh, also confirmed the dates in an interview with journalists in Abuja on Wednesday.

He said that the primaries for the National Assembly would hold on November 22, adding that these dates were already ratified by the members of the party’s National Working Committee, which met in Abuja on Wednesday.

He, however, said the dates were mere proposals and were subject to approval of the party’s National Executive Committee which is scheduled to meet on Thursday.

He said, “We expect all public servants, government appointees and elected party officials who are interested in contesting any position to resign their appointments seven days before the commencement of the ward congress election.”

It was learnt that sales of nomination and expression of interest forms for various elective offices, would be between October 27 and 28.

This, according to a source at the national headquarters of the party, was to enable public office holders who want to resign their appointment to contest elective positions to do so before Oct. 20.

Meanwhile, Chief Edwin Clark has called for the adaptation of the president as the sole candidate of the party for the presidential election.

Clark said this was necessary since the President has signified his intention to run, adding that “this is the practice in the United States of America whose democracy we are practising.”

Clark, who spoke with our reporter in Abuja, said the President deserves the ticket having worked for the country since he assumed office following the death of President Umaru Yar’Adua.

Though the President has yet to openly declare his intention to run, some groups, including his ministers, have openly adopted him as their candidate.

The Presidency is also believed to be behind some of the groups, which are being coordinated by the Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, Prof. Rufai Alkali.

Apart from the President whose body language has shown that he is interested in the office, the only other person who has also signified his intention to contest is the Governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido.

Source:Punch Newspaper