Members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) met in Abuja on Wednesday, but failed to discuss the issue of waivers for Adamawa State governorship aspirants, who had applied for them.
Leading the list of those who have applied for a waiver in the PDP is a former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, who recently defected from the All Progressives Congress.
Apart from Ribadu, those who also asked for the waiver to enable them contest the governorship primary of the party in Adamawa included a former Military Administrator of Lagos State, Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.) and a former governorship candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria in 2011, Mr. Marcus Gundiri.
All the three aspirants were members of the APC before their defection.
Under the constitution of the PDP, new members and returnees are not qualified to seek elective positions until after two years, except they get a waiver.
“There shall be a minimum of two years membership span for a member to be eligible to stand for election into any public office, unless the appropriate executive committee gives a waiver or rules to the contrary,” Section 50 (9) of the PDP constitution says.
In the case of governorship, the stipulated authority is the National Executive Committee, through the NWC, according to section 50 (9) (b). The section also says the process must start from the ward level.
Ribadu last week registered at his Bako ward, Yola North LGA, and has been issued with the party’s membership card.
These three men, if cleared for the race, are to slug it out with the Acting Governor of the state, Umar Fintiri; a former Special Adviser to President Jonathan on Political Affairs, Ahmed Gulak; Senator Abubakar Girei; and a former Minister of State for Health, Idi Hong.
At the NWC meeting on Wednesday were the party’s six zonal vice chairmen.
A member of the committee told our correspondent that the issue was not mentioned “at all”, adding that there “were still some grey areas to be cleared so as not to play into the gallery” concerning the waiver.
If the three aspirants, who had joined others to pay the mandatory N11m for nomination forms were not cleared, they would not be able to take part in the party’s primary slated for September 6.
None of the officials of the PDP was ready to speak on the issue after the meeting.
The Adamawa election programme released by the party showed that the sale of nomination forms had closed on August 19.
The aspirants still have up to August 25 to submit their forms while screening holds on August 30.
Any aspirant that is not satisfied with the outcome of the screening will appear before the appeal panel on 30 while the ward, ward appeal and state congresses are to hold on September 1, 3 and 6 respectively.
Electoral appeal of the party is to sit on September 8, while the National Electoral Commission has fixed October 11 for the election to elect the governor of the state. – Punch.
