PDP PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE TO EMERGE OCTOBER 23
The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party for the 2011 general elections will emerge on October 23, 2010.
This was one of the high points of the party's timetable for the poll released after the National Executive Committee meeting in Abuja on Wednesday.
According to the timetable, governorship aspirants will emerge on October 8, confirming that the governors had succeeded in arm-twisting the PDP leadership into changing the order of the primaries in their favour.
Aspirants for the House of Representatives will emerge on October 12, just as their counterparts for the Senate will be known on October 14.
The timetable, further showed that screening of presidential aspirants will be on October 14.
The party also said that appeals from dis-satisfied candidates would be held on October 17.
The guidelines added that special conventions for the election of the presidential candidate would be held in all the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.
Previously, only a single convention was done in Abuja, involving all the states and the FCT.
The convention will start in the North-Central and South East on October 18. It will be followed by those of the North-West and South-South on October 19. The North-East and South-West will take their turns on October 20.
The national convention, where elections from the six zones are to be ratified will be held in Abuja on October 23, 2010.
However, screening of governorship aspirants begins on September 25, while the appeal panels are to sit between September 27 and 28.
Special congresses for the election of the candidates are scheduled to hold in all the local government areas of the three senatorial districts of each state.
According to the timetable, congresses would start with the local government in all the South or East Senatorial (whichever is applicable) districts of each state on October 6.
It will be followed by North or West Senatorial District on October 7, while local governments in Central Senatorial District will take their turn on October 8
Run-offs are to be conducted in October 10 while aggrieved candidates are to present their cases before electoral appeals on October 11.
More details showed that screening of National and State Assembly aspirants will hold between September 21 and 24, while the screening appeals committee will sit between September 25 and 26.
The timetable also stipulated that special congresses for aspirants to the House of Representatives and Senate would hold on 12 and 14 respectively, just as electoral appeals would be heard on October 15.
The timetable also showed that the screening of National and State Assembly aspirants would be conducted between September 21 and 24, while the screening appeals for the aspirants will be between September 21 and 24.
The screening appeal committees are to sit between September 25 and 26 while the special congress for the election will take place on October 2.
Run-offs are to be conducted where applicable on October 4. Those not satisfied with the outcome of the run-offs are to appear before the electoral appeals on October 5.
Announcing the guidelines, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Prof. Rufai Alkali said the NEC considered critical issues affecting the party, especially preparations for the elections following the release of a timetable by the Independent National Electoral commission.
He also said the NEC was empowered to release the guidelines as stipulated in Article 12.72 (i) and 17.1 and 2 of the party's constitution.
Alkali announced the immediate commencement of sale of expression of interest forms for all categories of aspirants.
He added that the election of three Ad-Hoc delegates nationwide will hold on September 21, while the election of national delegates is to take place nationwide on Thursday, September 23.
Concerning the fees to be paid by aspirants, the party said a presidential aspirant will pay N1m for expression of interest form and another N10m for a nomination form, while gubernatorial a gubernatorial aspirant will pay N500,000 for expression of interest and N5m as nomination fee.
Other fees are: a senatorial aspirant will pay N 200,000 and N2m for expression of interest and nomination form respectively.
For a House of Representative aspirant, he would pay N100,000 and N1m for expression of interest and nomination form respectively.
State House of Assembly aspirant will pay N100,000 and N500,000 for e expression of interest and nomination respectively.
However, all female aspirants are exempted from paying nomination fees, but are expected to pay the expression of interest fees at every level.