Party primaries: PDP cancels automatic tickets for Governors, Senators, Reps

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said there would be no more automatic ticket for its serving governors, Senators and members of the House of Representatives, in its attempt to eliminate the issue of “money bags” funding the party.

The party had in the March/April general elections under its erstwhile national chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, granted automatic tickets to former President Goodluck Jonathan and its serving governors who were seeking re-election.

But addressing newsmen at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, shortly after the country director of International Republican Institute (IRI) paid him a visit, PDP acting national chairman, Prince Uche Secondus said there would be no automatic ticket under his watch as could be seen in Kogi and Bayelsa where the two serving governors seeking re-election; Governors Idris Wada and Seriake Dickson, faced the party primaries.

Secondus said the party is implementing what he termed zero expenses primary elections as part of reformation which he said would eliminate the influence of “money bags” who tend to manipulate the party activities with their resources” stressing that automatic ticket is not provided in the party’s constitution.

He said the party had gone wrong in the past but stressed that under his watch, few individuals would not be allowed to fund and hijack it while advising members to do their biometric regristration and pay their dues as part of fund raising for the party.

The PDP Chief who said the party would partner IRI also called on the new chairman of the Independent national electoral commission (INEC) Professor Yakubu to conduct transparent, free and fair elections in Kogi and Bayelsa governorship polls slated for November 21 and December 5.

“There will be no automatic ticket for anybody under my watch.  There will be no influence of money bags. Zero expenses primary election is key and we are doing that; we have conducted the best primary elections in Kogi, we have also done it in Bayelsa.

“We are eliminating the issue of money bags funding the party; we are returning the party to the ordinary man on the street. With the biometric registration and renewed commitment to pay dues, members will have the right to ask questions for proper accountability,” he said. -Daily Trust.