- For the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), candidates will no longer be imposed on the people of Nigeria
- The national secretary, Umar Tsari, says PDP will henceforth follow due process in the election process
- Tsari declares that the party will give members the freedom to select the best candidates ahead of future elections
As the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) begins moves to outwit the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) at the centre and the state levels in 2019, the opposition political group says it has resolved not to impose unpopular candidates on the people.
This was one of the issues the party faced in its 16 years before it was defeated by the APC in 2015.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the PDP national secretary, Umar Tsari, said this on Monday, February 26, in Katsina at the opening of a two-day retreat organised by the Katsina State chapter of the party.
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“The PDP intends to follow due process in the selection of candidates during its primaries for those that will contest under the platform in 2019.
“The party intends to provide a level playing ground for all aspirants so as to have complete loyalty from members.
“The party will treat all members equally without imposing any candidate on them; we have found out that the imposition of unpopular candidates in the past had been one of our greatest undoing.
“Party members will be given free hand to select candidates of their choice; no leader will be allowed to impose his or her candidate on the people,” Tsari said.
Speaking also, the state chairman of the PDP in Katsina, Salisu Majigiri, urged all members of the party to unite and prepare to ensure that it returns to power in the state in 2019.
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“We have learnt our lessons and we are now ready to come together toward achieving victory in 2019.
“Katsina state is the home of PDP as we have provided dividends of democracy to the people in the 16 years of our stewardship,” he said.
NAIJ.com earlier reported that the Peoples Democratic Party had rejected the eight-member in-house committee constituted by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to investigate reports of under-age voters in Kano state.
In a statement by its national publicity secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, on Sunday in Abuja, the PDP said the panel lacked credibility as it comprised officials of INEC, which had been accused of complicity in the issue.
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Source: Naija.ng
ROSY CREST
Tuesday, 27 February 2018