PDP throws delegates’ list open for aspirants’ scrutiny

ASPIRANTS to national leadership positions of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who suspect that delegates’ list for the forthcoming elections may have been tampered with can peruse the list to verify the names for themselves.

Some aspirants have recently questioned the integrity of the national leadership of the party which they accused of working for the emergence of favored candidates beginning with the doctoring of the delegates’ list.

But addressing the opening session of the 77th National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party at its national secretariat in Abuja on Thursday, the Chairman of the National Caretaker Committee (NCC) of the PDP, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, said the aspirants were free scrutinize the list in the office of the party’s National Organizing Secretary.

He said: “The state party chairmen are here.  We want you before you go, as we did promise in our publications, just to be doubly sure, to go to the National Organizing Secretary to have a look at the returns on delegates elected and satisfy yourself further that what has been transmitted to us is what you are witnessed to, that occurred in your state.

“This is to reinforce the issue of integrity of the delegates list that will be used for the elective convention.

“It will be open and available to anybody with a bonafide interest,” he said, explaining that “we understand the fears that they may be tampered with. That’s why we want you to verify the list.”

He reminded them that panels set up by the party did not conduct elections as that was the business of state chapters of the party.

Makarfi who was addressing the committee for the last time as the party chairman, thanked NEC for standing by NCC in the last 18 months.

He pointed out that the ongoing campaign for leadership positions has brought free publicity to the party as aspirants traversed the country selling the PDP to Nigerians.

The party boss said the NCC did not take offense to any negative utterances that would have been made by aspirants in the course of their campaign as it saw it as usual ingredients in politics.

Makarfi appealed for unity in the party as he noted that it was the only way to ensure the survival of the party and its return to power.

Speaking on behalf of state governors, Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe state, congratulated members “for the rebirth of the party as a result of the campaign activities of the aspirants.”

He assured that Nigerians were eager to welcome back the PDP and therefore urged the party members to conduct their activities in a good way.

While pledging the cooperation of state governors, he said: “Our members are still up and doing and waiting. As leaders of this party, we should behave ourselves and conduct the affairs of the party in a better way.”

In his remark, the Chairmen of the PDP’s Board of Trustees (BoT), Senator Walid Jibrin, denied that the board had disqualified some aspirants.

He said at no time did the board meeting to take such decision, pointing out that it was not the responsibility of the BoT to set the rules.

Jibrin however noted that some BoT members on their own had decided to back some aspirants but that should not be construed as the BoT’s position.

He also said while consensus was allowed in a contest such as the PDP was going into, all aspirants should be allowed to go to the poll where consensus could not be achieved.

The BoT Chairman warned members against acts capable of sabotaging the coming national convention of the party.

Also speaking, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, appealed to those he said wanted to destroy the party, saying that they would end up being the “ultimate victims.”

He said Nigerians were waiting for the return of PDP, praying that the party would be able to meet the expectations of the people.