PDP presidential primary election: Live Updates, Results and Situation Report

A two-day National Convention of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, will start today (Saturday) and end on Sunday.

The main opposition party will be electing its presidential candidate to challenge President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress, APC, for the 2019 presidential election.

There are 13 aspirants jostling for the sole ticket of the party in the primaries that will be held in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

The PDP has settled for the indirect mode of primaries to pick its candidate.

Among the aspirants hoping to grasp the party’s single ticket are former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar; Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki; the Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal; former Governor of Kano State, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso; A two-time Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, and a former Minister of Education and two-time Governor of Kano State, Ibrahim Shekarau.

Others are two-time Governor of Kaduna State, Senator Ahmed Makarfi: Attahiru Bafarawa, a former governor of Sokoto state; the Governor of Gombe State, Ibrahim Dankwambo; a former Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki; A former member of the House of Representatives, Datti Baba-Ahmed; the immediate past President of the Senate, David Mark; and a former Governor of Plateau State, Jonah David Jang.

DAILY POST brings you the live update of events as they unfold at the Rivers State capital.

6:30 pm

Presidential primary: Gov. Okowa reveals what’ll happen to PDP after convention, speaks on aspirants stepping down

The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, National Convention Planning Committee, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, on Saturday assured that the outcome of the convention will leave the party stronger and more united.

The Delta Governor spoke with Channels Television at the Adokiye Amasiemeka Stadium, Port Harcourt, venue of the convention, disclosing that he was not aware of any of the 12 presidential aspirants stepping down for another.

Okowa said he was confident that the candidate that will emerge from the convention will be a strong candidate

“We are a strong party and we are going to go through a credible process today. I believe that we going to become more united even after this convention because we are very sure that we are going to deliver a very credible process.

“Therefore, whosoever emerges in this process is going to be a very strong candidate that will be very competitive, and we are sure that we will work hard to ensure his victory.

“I am not aware of anybody who has stepped down. We made it very clear, anybody who is going to step down has to step down in writing and also publicly announce it at the convention ground here,” he said.

6:00 pm

PDP Presidential primary: Saraki’s camp commends delegates

As voting commences at the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Presidential primary election, the camp of an aspirant and the Senate President, Bukola Saraki on Saturday commended delegates for their conduct.

Saraki’s Special Adviser on International Relations, Bankole Omisore said the civility and maturity with which the party’s delegates approached the convention was commendable.

In a tweet, Omisore said the Saraki’s support movement was waxing stronger.

According to the aide, his principal was a strong contender for the party’s presidential ticket.

He tweeted, “Must commend all @OfficialPDPNig Presidential aspirants for approaching this convention with a lot of civility and maturity.

“As at 5:57pm the #GrowNigeria movement is waxing strong. @bukolasaraki is indeed a leading contender in this race.”

5:45 pm
PDP presidential primary: Vote for Saraki – Aspirant Turaki tells delegates

One of the 13 aspirants jostling for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential ticket, Tanimu Turaki, has asked PDP delegates to vote for the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, if, for whatever reasons, they rejected him.

According to Vanguard, Turaki said that only him and Saraki possess the pedigree, competence and character to solve Nigeria’s problems.
The former Minister said should the delegates reject him, that they should however, not hesitate to vote for Saraki whom he said is his brother.

According to him, “People have been arguing that there are a lot of presidential aspirants in PDP. And people are laying ambush, thinking that this election process will create a lot of problem that they could benefit from.

“And all of us are speaking to ourselves as speaking to each other.
“And we agree that anybody who gets the ticket among us, that others will line up behind him.
“Both of us have experience. Both of us have knowledge and integrity.

“Both of us have character and both of us have that competence. And when you look at our antecedents, our backgrounds, our pedigree, its impeccable.

”So I say to Nigerians, particularly PDP delegates, for if for whatever reasons you don’t want me, take Abubakar Bukola Saraki as my brother.
“I believe that between the two of us, that the problems of Nigeria will be solved decisively,” he concluded.

5:30 pm

2:40 pm

The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Convention Committee, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, has said that “late arrival of delegates delayed the take-off of the convention.”

Okowa, who spoke with newsmen at the PDP convention holding in Port Harcourt on Saturday, said ‘the most challenging part of the convention was the inability of delegates to arrive early.”

According to News Agency of Nigeria, Newsmen delegates were being meticulously screened as they troop in but accreditation is still yet to commence.

The delegates were made to pass through three gates of screening before getting into the main bowl where the election would take place.

To enter into the main bowl was made so difficult by the committee that many journalists were not allowed to enter in spite of their accreditation cards.

One of the delegates from Kano, Shuaibu Adamu from Kano assured of successful convention, while Shehu Sani from Bauchi urged delegates to vote the right aspirant.

Joshua Momoh from Delta urged delegates to elect a credible candidate for 2019 Presidential election.

Most of the delegates told NAN that they were satisfied with the security arrangement at the convention venue, especially the weather which was clement.

Newsmen report that delegates in their thousands were already at the convention venue – Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, and had turned the venue into a carnival ground with great pomp and pageantry.

Many aspirants with their supporters were in their various uniforms chanted political songs and making merriment, while awaiting accreditation.

2:30 pm

Former President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan receives Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, delegates in Port Harcourt venue of the party’s National Convention

12:30 pm

All the aspirants are currently in a crucial closed door meeting ahead of the presidential primary

Delegates from Imo and Anambra States gathered and speak to Senate President Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki at the venue of the convention.

After meeting with the delegates, Publisher of Ovation Magazine, Dele Momodu, also qouted Saraki’s media team as saying that “Saraki, Obi In Crucial Meeting Ahead of Today’s Convention: Dr. Saraki and former Governor of Anambra State, Dr Peter Obi, met this morning in Port Harcourt”

12:01 pm

Delegates from Imo and Anambra States gathered and speak to Senate President Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki at the venue of the convention.

11:00 am

Delegates, food vendors, traders in various consumables, stickers and caps have set up canopies around the Adokiye Amasiemaka Stadium, venue of the 2018 National Convention of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondents at the venue report that some of the delegates have also been sleeping in vehicles parked within the open spaces around the stadium since Oct. 5.
Similarly, posters of the 13 aspirants jostling for the party’s Presidential ticket at the Convention conspicuously adorned streets leading to the stadium.
The aspirants are: Alhaji Atiku Abubakar; Sen. Bukola Saraki; Ibrahim Dankwambo;Rabiu Kwankwaso; Aminu Tambuwal; Ahmed Makarfi; and Jonah Jang.
Others are: Sen. David Mark; Sule Lamido; Atahiru Bafarawa; Tanimu Turaki; Datti Baba-Ahmed; and Stanley Osifo.
The presence of Nigeria Police personnel and sister security agencies were also noticeable at the stadium gates and around the stadium to maintain law and order.
Praise singers with various musical instruments professing the virtues of their candidates also thronged the venue.
Accreditation of delegates had not started at the time of filing this report.
A delegate, Alhaji Kure Aminu, told NAN at the Sokoto State pavilion that delegates from the state were ready for the convention, saying that Tambuwal, who is also from Sokoto State, would win.
Delegates from Abia, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo separately told NAN that they were voting for aspirants they believed would win the 2019 presidential election on the platform of the PDP.
Garba Iliyasu, a delegate from Bauchi State, also expressed confidence that PDP would win in the 2019 elections.

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