The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has barred members of its Board of Trustees, BOT from campaigning for any of the 13 presidential aspirants currently vying for the opportunity to contest the 2019 elections on the platform of the Party.
The PDP Board of Trustees arrived at the decision after a meeting between members of the BOT in Abuja on Thursday.
The PDP Board of Trustees Chairman, Senator Walid Jibrin who briefed journalists after the meeting stated that the BOT was exploring various alternatives to prune down the list of Presidential aspirants although he promised that none of them would be forced to step down for anyone.
Excerpts of the statement issued after the meeting read;
“The BoT deliberated on the current situation in the party. We also discussed about the number of our presidential aspirants.
We are recommending that we have to manage the situation very well, so that it does not lead to crisis. The presidential aspirants are 13. We are trying our best to ensure that the number is reduced. But we are not forcing anybody. More consultations are ongoing among the elders. We are going to bring out a committee that will be best for Nigerians.
We are forming a committee to meet with the aspirants. After that, we will decide on what to do. We have decided to form a special committee to advise the National Working Committee.
If you are a member of BoT, you remain as a member of BoT and conscience of the party. They should not move about with any aspirant. If we are really the conscience of the party, we should not move about with aspirants. That was what happened during the last national convention when we elected the national chairman.
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Some of us went and pitched camp with aspirants, taking them all over the place. This time, we will not allow that to happen.
Anyone of us who move about with any aspirant should resign from the BoT. We are the one that will settle the complaint.
But if we are involved it will not be fair. So we have told the members not to campaign with the aspirants; we are also the delegates.”
The ranks of the PDP was bolstered a few weeks ago when bigwigs from the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC defected en-masse to the PDP where most of them had originally belonged.
The aspirants currently seeking the nomination of the PDP include; former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar; former Governor of Kano State, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso; Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal; Governor of Gombe State, Ibrahim Dankwambo as well as former Governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa.
Others also include; former Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Relations, Alhaji Kabiru Turaki (SAN); former Governor of Kaduna State, Senator Ahmed Makarfi; former Governor of Kano State, Ibrahim Shekarau; former Governor of Plateau State, Jonah Jang and Dr. Datti Baba-Ahmed, Senate President Dr. Bukola Saraki and former Senate President David Mark.