PDP Presidential Primaries: Aspirants Kick Against Port-Harcourt Venue

Agency ReporterSeptember 18, 2018

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Ahead of October 6 presidential convention of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, slated for Port Harcourt, some aspirants are against the use of the Rivers State capital for the all-important event.

The aspirants are not comfortable with Port Harcourt and are demanding an alternative venue.

It would be recalled that last Thursday, when the PDP governors and National Working Committee, NWC, of the party held a meeting with the aspirants, the governors had picked Port Harcourt, ditching Enugu and Akwa Ibom, on the excuse that Port Harcourt had more hotel space than the two states.

In that meeting, which held at Ekiti State Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja, the governors had also kicked against consensus option, preferring the use of primary election to pick the flag bearer.

It was further gathered that in the meeting, one of the aspirants, Atiku Abubakar, had questioned the rationale behind the choice of Port Harcourt.

A source close to the PDP Governors’ Forum and the aspirants said that the aspirants were holding out for a different venue.

“They are asking for a different venue. Among the venues being considered are Lagos, Delta and Akwa Ibom,’’ the source said.

The 13 presidential aspirants vying for the PDP presidential ticket include former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar; Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal; Gombe State Governor, Ibrahim Dankwambo; Senate President, Bukola Saraki; former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido; hisbKaduna state counterpart, Ahmed Makarfi; and a former Special Duties Minister, Tanimu Turaki.

Others include former President of the Senate, David Mark; a former governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso; ex- governor of Sokoto state, Attahiru Bafarawa; a former Plateau State governor, Jonah Jang; ex-lawmaker, Senator Datti Baba-Ahmed and Stanley Osifo