Jonathan May Declare Soon as PDP Says October 30 is Deadline to Obtain Nomination Form

Indication that President Goodluck Jonathan may declare his intention to contest the 2015 presidential election resonated yesterday with his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), stating that all aspirants to elective offices in 2015 from the party, including President Goodluck Jonathan, must purchase their forms of intent latest by October 30.

The party said that all aspirants, including those angling to become the President, governors, senators and others, must show interest in the race by purchasing forms before they could stand for election or the party’s primaries.

President Jonathan who despite numerous endorsement by political groups and his adoption as the sole presidential candidate of the party for the 2015 election has remained silent on his intention.

The expectation that the president would use the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria grand finale rally mega in Abuja to declare his intention did not materialise as the president shunned the event.

But with the statement by the PDP, if the president is interested in contesting for the presidency in 2015, he might have to declare before the October 30 deadline to pick the nomination form.

Speaking to journalists after the meeting of the members of the National Working Committee of the party in Abuja on Wednesday, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh said the president and others must pick their forms by October 30.

He added that the President, even though was adopted as the sole presidential candidate of the party, must purchase form before he could be recognised as the party’s candidate.

“The Constitution of the party stipulates that there will be a national convention, where decisions or memos from the National Executives will either be approved or rejected and there is no way that you can go to a presidential election and say you are adopting or electing someone who has not bought the form.

“The 30th of October for purchase of forms will not be extended and it is applicable to all candidates. That date and time would not be changed.”

Metuh also debunked the allegation by a group from the Niger Delta, who said they were at the party secretariat to purchase presidential nomination form for the President but were turned back.

Members of the group said they were ready to pay the N22m for the form on behalf of the President, but regretted that the NWC had refused to sell the form to them.

Metuh said he was not aware of that, adding that any group willing to purchase form for anyone was free to do so.

Metuh said, “We are not aware of it. We have not been informed of any group that wants to buy form for Mr. President. We are not yet aware. I am just hearing it for the first time.

“Groups have come to purchase forms for senators and governors. I don’t think that the NWC is against anybody coming to purchase form for the President.

“We know that the President has not declared and he has not signified that he is going to contest. He has not given answer to the yearnings of Nigerians but at the same time, the NWC will not be against any group that wants to purchase form for him. I think they are dealing with the wrong channel.”