The political horse trading and battle for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Presidential ticket assumed a new dimension on Friday, as the party’s screening committee headed by the former Senate President, David Mark, finally settled for 15 aspirants, following the disqualification of two of the 17 Presidential aspirants.
The party also insisted that none of the two aspirants will get a refund of money paid to pick their nomination and expression of interest forms
Recall that each of the 17 aspirants had paid N40 million for the party’s Presidential nomination form.
Mark, while speaking after the exercise, told journalists that the dropped aspirants “had failed to meet the requirements set by the party.”
The screening committee chairman, who failed to name the dropped aspirants, however, declared that those dropped failed to meet the party’s requirements
The Appeal Committee which is headed by the party’s National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, is expected to sit on the appeal on Tuesday, 3rd of May, 2022.
Mark also noted that the exercise, “as far as we’re concerned, has gone on very well. We’ve been here since morning, and I’m sure you people have been here since morning also.
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“We’ve been very thorough this time around. See how much time we’ve taken to screen each individual who has been here. We screened 17 aspirants, which is quite a number. We cleared 15 two have not been cleared.”
Mark said he was not in a position to disclose name of the disqualified aspirants, “Now don’t ask me those who have been cleared and those who have not been cleared because I won’t tell you. We haven’t released the result to them. So, if you ask question in that direction, you’re wasting time. I think on the whole that’s what we’ve done. And we’re quite satisfied with the standard of the aspirants by and large.”
The former Senate President expressed strong confidence that “any one of them who gets the ticket would win the election in 2023.”
Mark also revealed that the Committee was ready to submit its reports on the screening exercise that same Friday night.
“We’ll submit and then those who were not cleared have a right to appeal. I’m sure they will go on appeal because there is an appeal panel.
On his panel’s impression about the aspirants and advice to the party going forward, he said: “We feel that they all very well qualified; those we’ve cleared. And that like I just said anyone of them who is picked will win the 2023 presidential election.”
A total of 17 aspirants, including the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar who was first to be screened and Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, took turns to appear before the committee.
Those also screened include Nwachukwu Anakwenze, a medical doctor who has spent over 40 years, practising medicine in the United States, where he is said to control over 4000 doctors.
Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim; Akwa Ibom state Governor, Udom Emmanuel; Ayo Fayose, and renowned Economist, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, also appeared before the committee
Others are Chikwendu Kalu, Bauchi state Governor, Bala Mohammed; Dele Momodu, Cosmos Ndukwe, former Anambra state Governor Peter Obi and Sam Ohuabunwa.
The Committee also screened the only female aspirant, Tariela Oliver; former Senate President, Bukola Saraki; Charles Ugwu and Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal.
Speaking after going through the screening exercise, Chikwendu Kalu, who was former Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, commended the panelists for doing a good job.
Kalu noted that the Mark committee had been thorough in its job, “trying to make sure that we get it right this time around and that’s exactly what Nigeria need in terms of character; somebody that has the capacity to hold us together, and move the country forward. Because of what they have done, I rate them 98percent.”
Kalu had also advised against looking at the screening from “parochial perspective but from the point of view of the fact that you want your party to produce the best.
“So, all of us are going to abide by the decisions of the party the moment they say that it is only me, all of us will abide by it,” he said.
BusinessDay gathered that part of the screening requirements included, having a sound financial background that will enhance ability to bankroll the campaigns once elected as the party’s candidate.
The party had also adopted the criteria of the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), as the party did not want to risk its candidate being disqualified by the electoral body after emerging as candidate.
The former Governor of Ekiti state, Ayodele Fayose, who had been an apostle of zoning, insisted that the party will gain more by zoning the Presidential ticket to the South.
“Well, I say it again, very expressly, that I am for zoning and I believe the best thing this party can do for posterity, for tomorrow, so as not to cause confusion is for this party to zone this presidential ticket.
“You know why, if we fail to do it, even if we say anybody can contest, you must officially zone it to the South,” he said.
He recalled that “in 1999 it was zoned to the South which brought Obasanjo and Olu Falae, Abubakar Rimi still contested within the ambit of the Constitution. But the party must remember, whatever we do today, will stand against us tomorrow.
“The system is not functioning in our country, the institutions are not functioning; that is why we have all these problems. And we must be courageous enough to say this is going to South. If you want to contest, the Nigerian constitution still gives you the leverage, the opportunity to do so. I support zoning this to southern Nigeria.
“And if you look at APC, largely those obtaining these forms are from the South and because they know the president of Nigeria currently is from the north. It is not a party affair, he is president of Nigeria; and it is in the north now; it must come to the South.
“This is not a sign of weakness, but it’s a sign to make sure that you don’t have the leeway for some people who will be using it negatively in future,” he said.
Fayose, while noting that the zoning committee had just submitted their report, added that the party must make pronouncement and that may not necessarily stop anybody from contesting. The party must and should make a pronouncement.
“The panel said they’ve gone through my CV, they’re satisfied and they only want me to talk on the stomach infrastructure policy of my government when I was holding sway in Ekiti.
“So I told them, the importance of stomach infrastructure. And I equally made it very clear that if I become president of Nigeria. I will have minister for stomach infrastructure and welfare of the people. You can tar all the roads here, you can do every good work on infrastructure but when the people are not happy, when people are not looked after, not in a situation where you say Abacha loot must be shared in the market to nobody, but the money must end in the pocket of the poor.
“So, for me stomach infrastructure is part of being supportive of the ordinary Nigerian, and I think that will be necessary. Stomach infrastructure under my watch, as president of Nigeria will be a major theme. No one is saying here that you will not do the needful in terms of developing the country, part of development is the welfare and well being of the people,” he said.
Dele Momodu on his part said that the “screening was very detailed; very professional.”
He also said: “You know, members of the committee are among the most experienced leaders of our party. I was very excited to see them. Some I’ve known for a very long time.
“They checked the originals of the documents and when they were satisfied, they said, take a bow.”
He described the screening as a “very straightforward exercise,” adding that “I’m looking forward to a robust engagement with Nigerians in the coming days and coming weeks; it is going to be exciting. Anyone who feels Dele Momodu is here to waste time or to step down for somebody, tell them that Dele Momodu is a man of principle.
“My message to the delegates is that they should not sell their conscience? They should vote their conscience? I don’t have money. But I have integrity; I have reputation as a global brand, our founding fathers in Nigeria they all have journalism background.
“If you go to Ghana many of their leaders you know have journalism background. The world can only be changed by intellectuals and not by money.”
He further said: “That is what I want to offer my country; everywhere in the world now people are electing superstars. You need somebody who will be President from day one who has been interacting with Presidents and will be able to take charge from day one.”
Akwa Ibom state Governor, Emmanuel Udom also said that the screening “was quite interesting. I mean, the people who were in the panel are quite credible; these are strong people with diverse knowledge and I enjoyed when they dabbled into my area, how am I going to rescue and restore Nigeria?
“I think that’s where I find it much more interesting. And I want to believe that all the people they’ve seen so far today, any of us, is equal to the task to rescue and restore this country.”
Udom, who believed that many things are working for him, added that “they are working for my own advantage, because if you look at my antecedents, if you look at my training, if you look at the capacity and above all, I think age is also on my side, because the problem with Nigeria today needs a very strong, agile young man. And I think all around, I think so many factors are in my favour, and that will be decided by the electorate on the primaries.”
He further said that he did not foresee any problem, adding that “if there were not many aspirants, I would have been worried. Honestly, that’s where it would have been boring.
“You see, this is a new spirit, a new wave of PDP, where everybody is allowed to express himself or herself. So, allow us to express ourselves on that day at wherever the venue will be, I think the delegates will determine who will rescue and restore this country but trust me, whoever they will bring up as the candidate of the party will be one of the best that this country has ever produced. Because look at the people that we are parading, who are aspirants. I think this is just one of the best that we’re waiting for.”
Speaking on zoning, the aspirant, said: “The party is supreme. If the party has spoken, we will all abide by what the party has said.”
Peter Obi, on his part, declared the screening as “every other normal and a well organised screening, where they went through documents we were supposed to present.”
On his chances, Obi said that “it is just for the delegates to decide. I’m not going to impose myself on them. My chances are for the delegates to reflect on the nation and decide, what do we do to guarantee a future for our young ones?”
Also speaking on zoning, Obi promised to abide by the party’s decision on the issue.
“Whatever the party does, for me is to care more about what Nigerian people are looking for. How do we create a future for the teeming unemployed Nigerian youths; pulling Nigerians out of hunger.
“The party has the final say. I can’t have a thought, I’m a member of a party. If the party says this is where they want the party to go, if you’re a member of an organisation, you respect that organisation. And that is why I said, whatever we do, the most critical thing is, what we do to pull Nigerians out of poverty and create a future for teeming unemployed youths of Nigeria.
“We must change our polity and do what other nations are doing and that is building a better nation for their people. We can go on, going around around things that are yesterday. Let’s think about tomorrow. How come that a great nation like Nigeria is not doing well. Simple. Changing from consumption to production,” he said.
Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State also agreed that the screening had been well organised.
“It has been headed by our elders, people that are very credible and they have all the requirements that they will ask you. Very good process that we have always entrenched in PDP because the PDP is working toward making sure that there is good governance and internal democracy.
“I’m very, very happy that they brought a team of eminently qualified Nigerians to screen us and I am happy that we have been able to pass through the screening,” he said.
The governor said the ‘Consensus group’ had put that behind it and has chosen to move forward with the party.
“We have talked about this several times. We have taken it behind our back. This is something that we take away and something that we cherish so much coming from our community, not from the party.
“The party has a process of the emergence of candidates through the primaries, but what we did in the consensus is not a new one it has been done before and some people have benefited from it.
“I am humbled that I’ve benefited from that attestation and that sense of judgment and appreciation by our elders. I’m carrying it as a booster.
“But with all humility, I wish all the aspirants good outing and I pray it will be without any rancour, without any provocation, without any attack on any member that is contesting with me. And as I’ve said, I’m a democrat. If anyone of us get it other than myself, am ready support to him,” he said.
Speaking on rumored plans by former President Goodluck Jonathan to run for the Presidency, Mohammed said that “This is another new development, politics is dynamic. I have told Nigerians and I am a man of my own words that I will not be contesting alongside Jonathan; and I have gotten his go ahead, before I came to this level, I have gone very far.
“I have gotten a consensus status from my section of the country, and I have gotten supporters we can see across the country, but certainly it’s something that we are going to sit down and discuss. I’m not going to swallow my words.
“I respect President Jonathan so much and I know up to this moment, he has not declared; he is not here. But certainly, if he collects the ticket of any other party, I will not be joining issues with him.”
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