Buhari to INEC: "My credentials still with military"
Over 70 out
of the 91 political parties are presenting presidential candidates that will
participate in the 2019 Presidential elections, Owojela's Blog learnt.
A Media source, who visited the FCT office of the Independent National Electoral
Commission on Thursday, reported that over 70 names had been posted as of
Thursday night.
The list was
posted with INEC’s timetable which fixed October 25 for the publication of
candidates of political parties across the country.
Some of the
candidates include: President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives
Congress, former Vice-President Atiku
Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, Obadiah Mailafia of the African Democratic
Congress, and former Governor Donald Duke of the Social
Democratic Party.
A source at
INEC said the figure might be higher than 70.
He said, “So
far, over 70 candidates have been counted. A more comprehensive list will be
published on Friday.”
The source
said the ballot paper for the presidential election would also be long, adding
that the announcement of election results in 2019 might even take longer.
Meanwhile,
the various candidates’ credentials were made available to journalists on Thursday.
Buhari again
failed to attach necessary supporting documents, insisting that they were in
the custody of the military.
In the
affidavit which he swore to, Buhari said, “I am the above named person and the
deponent of this affidavit herein. All my academic qualification documents as
filled in my Presidential form, APC/001/2015 are currently with the Secretary
of the Military Board as of the time of this affidavit.”
On his part,
Atiku submitted all relevant documents, with a Diploma in Law in 1969 from the
Ahmadu Bello University being his highest qualification.
The former
Vice-President also attached tax returns indicating that he had paid N10.8m in
tax from 2015 to 2017 while declaring his income within the period as N60.2m.
PDP chairman
to head Atiku Presidential Campaign Council
There are
strong indications that the PDP is working towards creating the 2019
Presidential Campaign Council to be headed by its National Chairman, Prince
Uche Secondus.
The council
will complement the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation headed by the Senate
President, Bukola Saraki.
Some of the
positions, which are considered sensitive, had yet to be filled before Atiku
travelled out of Nigeria.
However,
before leaving, the party was said to have secured his approval before
releasing some names, which included that of Saraki.
Apart from
Saraki, those whose names were mentioned
included those of the Governor of Sokoto State,
Aminu Waziri Tambuwal as zonal coordinator for North-West; Governor of Gombe State, Ibrahim Hassan
Dankwambo , zonal coordinator, North-East; Governor of Benue State, Dr Samuel
Ortom, zonal coordinator, North-Central; Governor of Rivers State, Mr Nyesom Wike
as zonal coordinator, South-South while a former Governor of Ekiti State, Mr
Ayodele Fayose, was named as the zonal
coordinator for the South-West.
Others whose
names listed included the Governor of Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi, zonal coordinator, South-East; a
former Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Relations, Kabiru
Tanimu Turaki (SAN), as the Chairman, Legal Matters, and Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Emmanuel Udom, as the Chairman, Fund Raising Committee.
Since the
publication of the names, it was gathered that individuals had been mounting
pressure on the leadership of the party to get appointed into positions said to
be strategic in the campaign team.
On Thursday,
our correspondent gathered that some names were being brandished as new
appointees into the campaign council.
These
positions included those of the spokesperson for the campaign, directors of
contact and mobilisation, finance, strategy and others.
However, the
National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, said that the
party had yet to name other members of the Presidential Campaign Council.
He described
the list as phoney, and asked the members of the party to ignore it.
He said,
“The attention of the PDP was drawn to a phoney post circulating in the social
media and purporting that the PDP has released further names to make up its
2019 Presidential Campaign Council.
“The
fabricators of the post even went further to allocate offices to certain
individuals, claiming the same to be officially assigned by the leadership of
our great party.
“For the
avoidance of doubt, the PDP has not released any further names other than those
earlier released as members of the Presidential Campaign Council.
“Currently,
the only names and offices assigned and released by the party are those of the
Director-General and Zonal Coordinators of the 2019 Presidential campaign.”
He cautioned
that any other names being bandied around and purported to have emanated from
the party should be discountenanced accordingly.
“The party,
therefore, urges all members to remain calm and await further announcement by
the National Working Committee on the composition of the Campaign Council in
due course,” he added.
It was
gathered that Secondus would head the Presidential Campaign Council.
A source
close to the party told pUNCH that the party and Atiku were trying to avoid the
mistake made by the campaign organisation of former President Goodluck Jonathan
in 2015, which insulated the party in his campaigns.
The source
said, “Atiku is a core party man. He knows the implications of running an
individual campaign.”
“Being a
team player, he wants to carry the party along in whatever he does. In fact, the party will drive the campaign.
Because of this, all the members of the National Working Committee of the party
led by Secondus will play major roles in the campaign.”
Meanwhile,
10 political parties have so far adopted Mr Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim as their
presidential candidate.
Olawepo-Hashim,
who originally emerged the candidate of the Alliance for New Nigeria, has since
been adopted as the candidate of the Peoples’ Trust.
This was
contained in a statement from his media office which indicated that the
presidential hopeful would be flying the flag of the Third Force, having
consolidated his candidature ahead of the general election.
His party
composition, aside from the two major parties, the ruling All Progressives
Congress, which is fielding President Mohammadu Buhari, and the Peoples Democratic Party, which is
fielding former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.
The 10
parties that have adopted him as a candidate are led by the Olisa Agbakoba-led
National Intervention Movement.
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