•Eagle Square wears new look, security agents lock up Abuja
•Governors in marathon meeting to decide delegates
•146 polling centres available, 4 points for each state, FCT
•Screening committee clears all…
ABUJA: EAGLE Square, venue of the Special National Convention of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Friday wore a new look just as 3,500 delegates from the 36 States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) converge today at the Eagle Square to elect the party’s national officials.
Meanwhile, governors elected on the platform of PDP yesterday entered marathon meetings to shape the voting pattern of delegates from their respective states as well do the last political schemings and ensure that the zoning arrangement stands.
The 3,500 delegates will today vote for the seventy-five aspirants vying to fill the vacant seventeen positions of members of the National Working Committee (NWC) that will be voted for, following the resignation of some members due to the report credited to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that invalidated the party’s March 2012 convention.
The positions being contested at the Eagle Square venue of the PDP Congress today include those of the Deputy National Chairman which has six aspirants; Deputy National Secretary which has two aspirants; National Publicity Secretary which has eleven aspirants; National Organizing Secretary with two aspirants; Deputy National Organising Secretary with six aspirants; Deputy National Publicity Secretary with three aspirants; National Treasurer, which has two aspirants; Deputy National Treasurer withone aspirant; and National Legal Adviser parading one aspirant.
Other vacant positions are Deputy National Legal Adviser which has one aspirant; National Woman Leader which has ten aspirants; Deputy National Woman leader with one aspirant; National Youth Leader which has six aspirants; Deputy National youth leader, parading four aspirants; Deputy National Financial Secretary(1aspirant); Deputy National Auditor(1aspirant) and seventeen aspirants for National ex-officio.
As at the time of filing this report, the Screening Committee chaired by the Senate Leader, Senator Ndoma Egba, was screening aspirants at Rockview Hotel and no aspirant was yet disqualified. In the same vein, those who would want to appeal the decision of the Screening Committee if not cleared would be allowed to do so and their matter dispensed with before the commencement of voting this morning.
There is tight security at the venue of the convention with heavily armed Policemen and men of Civil Defence Corps parading the place.
At Eagle Square yesterday, there were the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, Senator Bala Mohammed; the Senator representing the FCT, Senator Philip Aduda; Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu; former FCT Minister, Abba Gana, among others to inspect the preparation for the convention.
Speaking to Journalists on the readiness of the party to conduct the election, Chairman, Media and Publicity Committee of the Convention Planning Committee and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, who noted that adequate preparations have been made to ensure a hitch- free Congress, said: “There are 146 voting points with same number voting at a time. This is to fasten the process of voting. About 3,500 delegates are expected to cast their votes. Voting would be concluded on time because it commences as soon as the President arrives. It is expected to be concluded within three hours after which sorting would commence.”
Ihedioha said that all positions would be voted for to avoid the pitfall of the past where those who won by affirmation in the past have their elections flawed by the INEC, adding that all party issues would be resolved at today’s convention. The Deputy Speaker added that seasoned administrators and other senior Nigerians who are founding fathers of the party would feature prominently in the electoral process.
culled:Vanguardngr
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