While the aspirants continue to push for their preferred options, the chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT), Senator Walid Jibrin, has said the final decision lies with the National Executive Committee (NEC).
Jibrin, in a telephone interview with our correspondent yesterday, urged the aspirants to wait for NEC to come up with the way forward, even as he advised the contestants to go ahead with their consultations without acrimony.
Jibrin said: “The zoning committee, set up by NEC and chaired by Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, has just submitted its report.
“As I speak, the NWC is in possession of the report, which they will table before NEC for deliberation after which an official position will be adopted.
“We are aware that some aspirants want consensus, some are calling for zoning while others want the ticket thrown open for all contestants.
“As the BoT chairman, I have no personal opinion as to which option to adopt because NEC has the final say on the matter.
“So I urge all our aspirants to wait for NEC to come up with the party’s official position as they continue with their consultations regarding their aspirations.
“We have 17 aspirants contesting for our party’s ticket, which I consider very healthy and encouraging. All the 17 aspirants are well qualified to lead the country.
“But I must add that only one of them will eventually get the ticket, and I would urge all of them to come into terms with this reality.”
The NEC comprises all the critical organs of the party – National Caucus, National Assembly Caucus, the BoT, the PDP Governors Forum, State PDP Chairmen, NWC, among others.
The 37-member zoning committee, which was set up by NEC about three weeks ago, had its members drawn from each of the 36 states of the federation, and one from the Federal Capital Territory.
Chaired by Governor Ortom, the committee submitted its report to the leadership of the PDP last Tuesday.
The party is expected to call the NEC meeting anytime this week to table the committee’s recommendations for deliberation and to take an official position on the recommendations.
PDP rakes in N646m from 17 presidential aspirants, extends nomination deadlines
Meanwhile, the PDP has generated N646 million from sale of presidential nomination forms to the 17 aspirants contesting for the ticket.
Sixteen of them who are males paid N40 million each for the form while a lone female aspirant among them paid a discounted amount of N6 million, in line with the PDP constitution.
The party has extended the timelines for the purchase and submission of all nomination forms.
With the latest adjustment, the last day for the purchase of all forms has been extended to Tuesday, April 19 while the last day for the submission of already completed forms has also been extended to Wednesday April 20.
In a statement issued by the spokesman for the PDP, Debo Ologunagba, the party said the shift in dates was to enable the party make up for the Easter public holidays, as announced by the Federal Government.
