PDP Cancels Presidential Primary

The Peoples Democratic Party has said with the adoption of President
Goodluck Jonathan by the party's National Executive Committee, the
party will not hold the presidential primary scheduled for December 6.
It said with the adoption, the President had become the sole candidate
for the presidential election.

With the development, It said the party would only ratify Jonathan's
candidature on December 6.

The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Olisa Metuh, who
disclosed this in a telephone interview with correspondents on Friday
said the convention would ratify the decision taken at NEC.

NEC had on Thursday pronounced the President as the sole candidate of
the party for the election.

Metuh said, "There is difference between convention and primary. What
we are going to have on December 6 at the convention is to ratify the
decision taken at NEC.

"There will be no primary again because we already have a candidate
and what we will do is that delegates will just ratify him."

With this arrangement, only President Jonathan is expected to pay the
sum of N22m, which the party has fixed as nomination fee for its
presidential aspirants.

Governorship aspirants are to pay N11million while senators are to pay
N4m, Reps, N2 million and State House of Assembly aspirants, N1m.

The NEC, while approving this as part of its guidelines for the 2014
general elections, added that the presidential primary shall be by
special convention using the modified open secret ballot system
otherwise known as open secret.

Meanwhile, the PDP has said the silence by all organs of the party on
Vice-President Namadi Sambo is an indication that he remains
Jonathan's running mate.

The Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Ibrahim
Jalo, who spoke with correspondents, said there was nothing to fear on
the issue.
He said, "You know the issue of endorsement started with the National
Caucus and the PDP Governors' Forum before the BoT and NEC.

"In all these, the issue of running mate was not discussed because it
is a joint ticket."

"So, since there was silence on this matter, it means that has been
admitted because it is a joint ticket.