PDP rules out automatic ticket for Jonathan, govs in 2015

THE ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has ruled out automatic tickets for President Goodluck Jonathan and the governors elected on the platform of the party in 2015.

In a statement issued by the PDP National Publicity Secretary yesterday in Abuja, Olisa Metuh, the party said it had been inundated with telephone calls following a speculation by some newspapers that PDP was reworking its constitution to accommodate automatic tickets for Jonathan and some of its governors.
The party described the publications as strange, adding that the claims that PDP was undergoing another process of constitutional amendment to guarantee automatic tickets to some incumbent office holders for second terms were untrue.
Metuh said: “The authors of this alien idea insinuated that we want to model our internal nomination process after the practice in the United States of America.
‘’We have received several calls from concerned party members for clarifications following this misleading publications.

In order to set the records straight, the PDP wishes to clearly state as follows.
‘’The party is not involved in any process to amend its constitution at the moment. The 2012 amended copy is now the grand norm of the party and we intend to strictly abide by its provision. The PDP does not exist solely for the purpose of perpetual amendments of its constitution.
“We have already made our position known that holders of elective positions can only secure another term based on their performance and their acceptance by the people in a free and fair primary elections where all party members shall be guaranteed a level playing ground. The PDP under Alhaji Bamanga Tukur shall never short circuit the will of its members under whatever guise.
“We also wish to make it clear that the PDP has its own constitution where processes for candidates’ selection are clearly spelt out. We are therefore only bound by the provisions of this constitution and not the conventions of any other party, anywhere else in the world. We are no copycats.
“We therefore urge our members to disregard this idea as we suspect that it is the handwork of mischief makers who are desirous of causing disaffection among our members,’’ Metuh stated.