2015: Why PDP Stopped Governor Ngilari As President Goodluck Jonathan Obtained His Presidential Nomination Form

President Jonathan collecting party nomination form for 2015 Presidential election at PDP Secretariat, Abuja on October 30, 2014. Credit: Reuben Abati ‏@abati1990

The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday declared that the zoning of the governorship position in Adamawa State to the Central Senatorial District ahead of the 2015 election remains valid.

Leadership reports that by this declaration, the incumbent governor, James Ngilari, who hails from Adamawa North, has been ruled out from the contest. He is, however, said to have picked forms for the contest.

The PDP NWC’s decision came just as President Goodluck Jonathan obtained his presidential nomination form yesterday.

In the case of Adamawa State, the national leadership of PDP had reached an agreement with 14 guber aspirants of the party to ensure that the governorship position goes to the Central Zone in 2015 especially when it became apparent that the then acting governor, Umaru Fintiri was unstoppable in the race to the botched by-election.

Reiterating the decision of the party, yesterday, the NWC through the national publicity secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh said, “For Adamawa State, the National Working Committee has decided that the decision and agreements of the candidates in Adamawa during our last exercise last month will be upheld; accordingly, the gubernatorial election in 2015 has been zoned to Adamawa Central.

“All aspirants who bought forms (eight of them) that signed the agreement and withdrew are advised to come and exchange them without any payment with the new 2015 forms.

“It means they are entitled to run since they are from the same senatorial zone of the party that will fully implement that agreement.”

..Aspirants Hail Decision

Meanwhile, all the 14 aspirants who participated in the process leading to the aborted election have hailed the party for taking the decision.

Speaking on behalf of the aspirants, former special adviser to the president on political matters, Barr. Ali Gulak expressed happiness with the decision of the NWC of the party, saying the arrangement was made for fairness to the Central zone which has never produced a governor since the time of the old Gongola State.

“Even though I am not from the Central Zone, I personally commend this decision which is also the wish of all of us. If anything, this has further prepared PDP to win Adamawa down and square,” Gulak stated.

Also, former minister, Dr Aliyu Idi Hong said the decision of the party has demonstrated the party leadership’s commitment to the promotion of unity among its members, as well as respecting accords that would preserve the integrity of the party.

“The NWC’s decision is a morale booster. It is a way of reassuring the teeming followership of the party that the PDP is a party of fairness and can always stand by its words. This would go a long way in thickening the ties between us and encourage team work towards the success of the party,” he said.

Also yesterday, the NWC announced the immediate sack of all acting chairmen of the party in Delta, Enugu, Anambra and Abia states.

Metuh stated that the deputy chairmen in Delta and Enugu states are directed to immediately take over the affairs of the party and organize an election for a substantive chairman to emerge from the zone of the chairman that resigned.

The election for a new chairman is expected to take place within two weeks.

Metuh added that the emergence of the acting chairmen in Delta and Enugu state did not follow due process.

Meanwhile, President Jonathan finally picked the Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms of the PDP yesterday to contest the 2015 presidential election, declaring that he will work with all Nigerians.

This comes as the party extended the sale of expression of interest and nomination forms to Thursday next week.

The national publicity secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh disclosed this yesterday.

Jonathan arrived the premises of the national secretariat of the PDP at 2:10pm and was accompanied by his vice president, Namadi Sambo, the secretary to the federal government, Anyim Pius Anyim, National Assembly members and members of his cabinet.

Among governors present were those of Bayelsa, Cross River, Katsina, Ekiti, Enugu, Akwa Ibom and Delta states.

The president picked the forms amid cheers by party members, who burst into a song led by the chairman of the PDP Governors Forum and governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio, immediately after the national organizing secretary, Alhaji Abubakar Mustapha, handed the forms to the president.

After thanking the party’s national leadership for offering him the right of first refusal, Jonathan said, “I could have still picked the form if they did not give me. But giving me the right of first refusal has attracted more people than it ordinarily would have.”

Speaking earlier, the national chairman of the party, Dr Adamu Mu’azu, stated that the party has adopted the culture of offering the right of first refusal for its tickets to performing governors and presidents serving their first terms in office.