Elumelu May Lead Former PDP Aspirants To APC

As Nigeria's political atmosphere continues to heat up, a major setback

hit the People's Democratic Party (PDP), on Tuesday the 6th of February

2015, as a group of PDP members under the auspices of PDP Aspirants Forum

(PAF), are set to decamp to the opposition parties.

The forum made their position known after a brainstorming meeting that

took place at Rockview Royal, Hotel, in Abuja FCT.
The organisation which comprises top of members of Peoples Democratic

Party (PDP), namely; Hon. Godfrey Gaiya, House of Representatives (Kaduna

North-West) Hon. Tom Zakari, House of Representatives (Kogi

North-Central), Hon. Ganama Titsi House of Representatives (Adamawa

North-East), Babatunde Gbadamosi, Governorship (Lagos South West), Hon.

Ndudi Elumelu Governorship (Delta South-South), Chief Richard Lamai,

Senate (Edo South-South), Hon Bethel Amadi, Governorship (Imo South –East)

and Chief Solomon Edoja Senate (Delta South-South).

They aver that they had put themselves forward for primary election for

various political positions nationwide i.e. Gubernatorial office

estimated at nearly 300, National Assembly about 1500 and State House of

Assemblies of about 3000, conducted November and December 2014. They met

all party requirements but were deliberately denied tickets through the

instrumentality of rigging and lack of internal democracy as against the

Rules and Regulations of PDP.
The aggrieved members in a communiqué issued in Abuja on Friday, 6th

February 2015 expressed their disenchantment over the shady conduct of the

primaries across board that was marred with all sorts' of irregularities

that short-changed the popular aspirants at the primaries.

The forum in their reaction, aver that party's inability to conduct a free

and fair primaries in all the thirty six states of the federation, was a

calculated plan to ostracise most of the popular political aspirants.

They accused the party top officials of being bias and selective in their

conduct as against the PDP constitution. Alleging that the party

collected huge sums of money for nomination forms from members of the

forum, when the party leadership had already anointed candidates before

the commencement of the primaries.
In their communiqué the forum accused the party leadership of

discrimination and marginalization, stressing that they were ignored in

the Presidential Campaign Organization of Mr President- a move designed to

exclude members of the forum from the party and deny them opportunity of

benefiting from the success of the PDP after the general elections.

At the end of the meeting, members of the forum resolved that 50% of

political appointive offices in the next government should be reserved for

members of the forum, and that Certificate of Clearance be issued to

members of the forum who were screened to contest the questionable

primaries but were denied Certificate of Clearance by the party.

They called on the party leader, President Goodluck Jonathan GCFR, to

direct the refund of the nomination form fees collected from aspirants,

also called on the Reconciliation committee set up by the party to assuage

members' grievances by reaching the leadership and individual members of

the forum before the conduct of the Presidential elections come March

28th.
They further demanded for funding to enable them mobilize their broad

membership base across the country and their respective constituencies so

as to galvanize the support of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to

victory.
They reaffirm that failure to address the issues raised in the communique

by the leadership of PDP would result to mass exodus of all members of the

forum to the opposition parties.
Warning that the opposition parties are already wooing the forum to pitch

tents with them.
However, when contacted the House of Representatives Chairman, Committee

on Health and PDP governorship aspirant in Delta state, Hon. Ndudi

Elumelu, in his reaction stated “I am doing my best to ensure that this

noble forum does not join the opposition parties, it will be a disastrous

for our party PDP, and are such affect the chances of President Goodluck

Jonathan at the poll, I urge the PDP leadership to look in to this matter

with urgency” he said.
According to Elumelu he has embarked on extensive consultations and

interactions with major stakeholders across board to foster continued

dialogue and harmonious resolution of the grievances of the forum.

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