Convention: PDP extends sale of forms to Nov 29

                                                      Dayo Adeyeye
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The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party has extended the sale of its nomination forms for those planning to contest positions at its national convention slated for December 9 in Abuja.

The spokesperson for the party, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja on Thursday.

He said that the National Caretaker Committee of the party took the decision because of the enthusiasm shown by members of the party.

He said the caretaker committee  decided to extend the closing date for the sale of forms from November 19 to 29.

Adeyeye said, “In order to further encourage party members and make the process more open and inclusive, the NCC has decided to extend the closing date for the purchase of nomination forms from November 19 to 29 November, 2017.

“Completed nomination forms are now to be returned on the 30th of November, 2017. Interested members are therefore enjoined to take advantage of this extension of time.”

Meanwhile, national chairmanship aspirants and others have continued in their bid to win the hearts of delegates to the convention.

For example, our correspondent gathered that three prominent aspirants – Chief Olabode George, Prince Uche Secondus and Prof. Tunde Adeniran – had divided the northern caucus of the party with their ambition.

The three aspirants are among the eight aspirants running for the office of the national chairman of the party.

Other aspirants are Prof. Taoheed Adedoja, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, Dr. Raymond Dokpesi, Senator Rashidi Ladoja and Otunba Gbenga Daniel.

Investigations by our correspondent showed that all the aspirants, apart from Ladoja,  have been going round the country seeking votes of delegates.

George had visited all the three zones in the North and also visited the South-East, the South-South and is said to be planning to visit the South-West before the convention.

Adeniran, who is a former minister of education, had also visited the northern part of the country and just returned from the South-East.

The spokesperson for his campaign organisation, Mr. Taiwo Akeju, who spoke with our correspondent in Abuja on Wednesday, said his principal was received with open hands in all the zones he had visited.

It was gathered that Secondus and his team have also been meeting with delegates across the country, promising to reposition the party if allowed to lead the party.

Sources said the power brokers in the North are divided between the choice of Adeniran and Secondus.

A former governor in one of the states in the North-West, who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity in Abuja, said delegates in the geopolitical zone were looking at the records of the two aspirants.

Concerning Adeniran, another source from the North, who described the former ambassador as a peacemaker, said those marketing him in the zone are also well respected politically.

Some delegates also described George as being fearless and that he remains one of the best that could lead the party at this critical period.

Our correspondent however gathered that no candidate had been picked ahead of others in the North, which, it was learnt, may be the final decider of who becomes the chairman of the party.

Meanwhile, an aspirant for the position of the National Secretary of the party , Abubakar Mustapha, has kicked against micro-zoning of party positions ahead of the convention.

Mustapha, a former National Organising Secretary of the party, stated this on Thursday after he picked his nomination form at the party secretariat in Abuja.