Connect with us
Advertisement

Politics

PDP chairmanship: Bribe delegates and get disqualified – Makarfi warns aspirants

Published

on

Advertisement

-PDP national chairmanship aspirants sign peace deal ahead of party convention.

-Aspirants have been warned against inducing delegates with money or other materials or face risk of disqualification.

Advertisement

PDP talks tough ahead of scheduled party convention.

Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, caretaker committee, Senator Ahmed Markarfi, has warned aspirants contesting the party’s national chairmanship position against giving money to delegates in order to influence votings in their favour.

Makarfi warned the aspirants that the consequence of bribing delegates would be outright disqualification from the election process, adding that any aspirant found guilty could still be disqualified on the day of convention.

He laid down the guideline while speaking during the peace accord signed by the aspirants at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja on Tuesday.

Advertisement

He commended the resolve of the aspirants to work together as a sign of maturity and evidence of good things to come for the party.

“Our being here today is a clear confirmation that what they (a section of the media ) have been saying is wrong. You have resolved that whoever is crowned by God and elected by the delegates will be acceptable to you.

“We didn’t suggest anything to you. You met and showed it to us and all we did was thank you for statesmanship. Even PDP has not done this before, not to talk of other parties that are undemocratic.

Advertisement
Advertisement

“You have shown that whatever happens, the overall interest of the party prevails. This is a sign of greatness; an indication of good things to come.”

The peace accord was signed by seven of the aspirants, while the Chief Olabode George reportedly secured the permission of the party leadership to sign the accord on Thursday.

Those present were: Prof. Tunde Adeniran , Prince Uche Secondus, Chief Gbenga Daniel , Rashidi Ladoja, Prof. Taoheed Adedoja , Dr . Raymond Dokpesi and Mr . Jimi Agbaje.

READ ALSO: Biafra: Fani-Kayode condemns Buhari’s statement that Igbos and Nigeria are one

The accord read in part, “We will support whoever emerges amongst us as the National Chairman of our great party as long as the process is transparent, free and fair in accordance with the provisions of the constitution of the party and guidelines of the elective national convention.

“No aspirant shall leave the party or encourage his or her supporters, promoters etc to do so, as a result of the outcome of the national chairmanship election at the elective national convention.

“Any breach of the 2015 zero expenditure policy of the party, which prohibits the use of monetary inducement including lodging of delegates and providing money for votes , shall not be tolerated in the 2017 national elective convention and shall be grounds for disqualification on or before the 9th of December, 2017”

“Any aspirant / sponsor / supporter / financier, proven to have done anything contrary to the agreements reached herein and in circumstances that suggest the knowledge of the undersigned persons shall be disqualified from contesting the national chairmanship election.

“Solemnly abide by and uphold the tenets of this national chairmanship election according to which we hereby voluntarily subscribe.”

 

The Peoples Democratic Party  delegates are expected to choose party leaders ahead of the 2019 general elections during their national convention in Abuja on December 9.