Sale of forms: PDP generates N.6bn from Delta, Rivers’ guber aspirants

The ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) may have generated N.6billion from governorship aspirants in the oil-rich Delta and Rivers States, where no fewer than 50 aspirants have picked their nomination and expression of interest forms to contest the February 28, 2015 gubernatorial poll.

The party had in its electoral guidelines announced that each governorship aspirant would pay N10million for nomination form and an additional N1million for expression of interest form.

However, female aspirants are exempted from paying the N10million nomination fee. This, the party explains, is its own way of encouraging female aspirants to seek elective offices under its platform.

Findings by BD SUNDAY revealed that Rivers State has about 30 gubernatorial aspirants, while Delta has at least 25 contenders jostling to take over from their governors – Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers) and Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta) – who are in the last lap of their administrations.

It was gathered that for each of the 55 governorship aspirants in both state, the party would rake in N550million for nomination forms alone and another N55million from expression of interest forms. This brings the total to N605million.

Rivers governorship aspirants in PDP include Beks Dagogo-Jack, Nimi Walson-Jack, Nyesom Wike, Lancelot Anyanya, Dennis Oshuka, Tamunosisi Jaja among others.

While those in Delta are Godsday Orubebe, Godwill Obielum, Tony Obuh, Peter Okocha, Emmanuel Aguariavwodo, Ovie Omo-Agege, Andrew Warri, Ndidi Abanum, Oghenovo Omene, Ngozi Olejeme, Akwara Ewere, Silvester Monye, Uduehi Esther, Ifeanyi Okowa among others.

Investigations reveal that while some of the aspirants are mere pretenders, others are people with genuine intentions.

Addressing journalists at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja after picking his forms, one of the governorship aspirants in Rivers eulogised a fellow aspirant and former minister of State for Education, Wike, while another in Delta promised to run “free education” at the primary school level. However, when a journalist reminded him that the Universal Basis Education (UBE) offers free education, he stuttered and said: “My own type of free education will be different”.

However, according to PDP’s guidelines, 15 percent of the nomination fee goes to state chapters, while the South-South Zone of the party gets 5 percent.

OWEDE AGBAJILEKE