Final whistle! PDP cancels presidential primary after Jonathan’s adoption

The Peoples Democratic Party has cancelled the party’s presidential primary that had been scheduled to hold December 6, owing to last week’s adoption of President Goodluck Jonathan by the party as the sole candidate for the presidential race in the 2015 general elections.

In a telephone chat with PUNCH, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, said that December 6 would now be used to ratify Jonathan’s candidature instead of a primary election.

His words: “There is difference between convention and primary. What we are going to have on December 6 at the convention is to ratify the decision taken at NEC. There will be no primary again because we already have a candidate and what we will do is that delegates will just ratify him.”

With the latest development, only President Jonathan is expected to pay the sum of N22m, which the party has fixed as nomination fee for its presidential aspirants.

Governorship aspirants are to pay N11million, senators, N4m, Reps, N2 million and State House of Assembly aspirants, N1m.

The party also said that the silence by all organs of the party on Vice-President Namadi Sambo is an indication that he remains Jonathan’s running mate.