PDP DARES INEC

In spite of the position of the nation's electoral agency that the date for the conduct of party congresses to pick candidates for 2011 had elapsed, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has ordered rerun of 24 National Assembly seats primaries for the selection of its candidates in the forthcoming general elections.

The last date according to Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) remains January 15, 2011.

Daily Sun findings revealed that the rerun election for the Senate would take place in 10 senatorial districts of Delta Central, Oyo Central, Sokoto East, Bauchi North, Taraba Central, Adamawa South, Adamawa North, Kogi Central, Kogi East and Kogi West.

For the party House of Representatives candidates, the exercise would take place in the Federal Constituency, Bama/Ngala/Kalbalge of Borno, Dala, Kumbotso and Gwale of Kano State, Adavi/Okeh, Dekina/Bassa Kogi State, Uyo and Eket/Ibero in Akwa-Ibom State, Bauchi Central, Bauchi State, Ideato North/Ideato South, Imo State, Gashaka Kumi/ Sardauna Taraba, Bida/Gbako Katchina, Niger State, Boripe/Ifelodun/ Odo-otin, Osun State and Sagbama/Ekeremo Bayelsa state.

A party source revealed that the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) had resolved to go ahead with the primaries as planned after due consultations, and that the officials of the party who would conduct the rerun primaries left Abuja yesterday night.

While Chairman of INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega had insisted on January 15, that no primaries would be allowed after the set date, the PDP National Legal Adviser, Chief Olusola Oke had dismissed the INEC's position as not premise on law. 'INEC isn't court, we will not join issues on pages of newspapers; we aren't in court.

We will meet INEC to clarify on issues and when that failed, we will go to court. It isn't for INEC to clarify the law. It is the court that is the appropriate institution to clarify the law,'' Oke had told journalists..