Barring any dramatic twist, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has concluded plans to hold its presidential primaries for the 2023 poll in May. To address lingering issues trailing zoning, the party, yesterday raised a 37-man committee to deal with the issue.
The primaries, according to multiple credible sources may hold on May 28, 2022.
Addressing newsmen at the end of the 95th NEC meeting of the party yesterday, National Publicity secretary of the party, Debo Ologunagba, said sufficient preparations have been made by the party for the 2023 general elections.
In a communique issued at the end of the meeting, the party approved the sum of N35m and N5m for presidential nomination and expression of interest forms respectively.
Similarly, governorship nomination form is pegged at N20m while the expression of interest form is fixed for N1m.
Others include state House of Assembly — expression of interest, N100,000, nomination form, N500,000; House of Representatives— expression of interest-N500,000, nomination form N2m; Senate—expression of interest, N500,000, nomination Form, N3m.
NEC also approved the PDP Electoral Guidelines for the conduct of primary elections as well as timetable and schedule of activities of the PDP for the 2023 general elections.
Meanwhile, NEC approved a 50 per cent reduction in nomination fees for youths aged 25 to 30 years for various elective positions.
NEC also approved commencement of sale of Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms from Wednesday (today) with the exercise expected to last until April 1.
On zoning, NEC also approved setting up of a 37-member committee to make recommendations for zoning of various elective positions, including the Presidential ticket. According to Ologunagba, the committee has two weeks to submit its recommendations.
Addressing NEC, PDP National Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, called on party leaders and stakeholders to forge a united front that will enable the party win elections, beginning with the Osun and Ekiti states governorship elections.
He said: “The National Working Committee under my leadership is calling on all our leaders and members of our party, not just in Ekiti and Osun, but all over the country to join us in fighting those elections because they are winnable if we put aside our differences and make sure that we work as a team to win those elections.
“These elections are important for several reasons. First of all for, they will give confidence back to our members.
“Secondly, they will signal to Nigerians that the PDP is determined to take power in 2023. We cannot take power in 2023 if we lose elections in state chapters or constituencies.
“It is important we unify the party. If we unify the party, we will win election at the state chapters. If we win elections in the state chapters collectively, we will be able to put those votes together and definitely win the presidential election.
Ortom chairs PDP committee to resolve Wike/ Obaseki feud
Meanwhile, the PDP has constituted a three-man committee chaired by Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom to wade into the crisis arising from the feud between Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike and his Edo State counterpart, Godwin Obaseki.
This was part of the resolutions reached at the 95th NEC meeting of the party, held yesterday at the party’s secretariat, Abuja.
It would be recalled that Wike recently got involved in a war of words with the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu over a comment made by the latter which Wike considered uncomplimentary.
Other members of the committee are Governors Ifeanyi Okowa and Bala Mohammed, governors of Delta and Bauchi states respectively.
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