Ondo, Edo guber tickets not for sale ― PDP

• To decide Atiku’s fate in 2023

TRACKING___National leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said it would produce flagbearers for the Edo September 2020 and Ondo October 2020 gubernatorial elections through indirect primaries.

TrackNews Online reports that the party said its ticket will is not for the highest bidder but for the candidate of popular choice to be decided by the respective delegates in the state.

The national publicity secretary of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan who said this at a press conference in Abuja while fielding questions from journalists also said that 2023 aspiration by Atiku would be based in the decision of the party on zoning.

According to him, aspirants will slug it out on a popularity contest to emerge as the candidate of the PDP in both Edo and Ondo States.

This he said was part of the lessons drawn from the party’s 2019 convention that produced Atiku as flagbearer in the 2019 Presidential election, insisting the party’s ticket is not for sale.

“Our selection process is through the indirect primaries and whoever emerges would be the authentic candidate of our party. The Prince Uche Secondus-led NWC conducted our affairs in line with international best practices when it comes to electioneering.

“The national convention held by our party in Port Harcourt ahead of the 2019 Presidential election is the standard for all our primary elections as we go into the Edo and Ondo elections.”

Ologbondiyan dismissed views that the Edo State governor, Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki was given stringent conditions for joining the party including demand for huge sums of money from the governor, he stressed that it was mere insinuation.

He said the party was not selling slots: “Which national leadership of the party? Are you talking about the NEC or NWC? We can say this before all Nigerians that under the leadership of Prince Uche Secondus as the national chairman of the PDP, we do not negotiate slots. We don’t sell slots. It is clear, you can find out.

“It is strange and totally misplaced for anybody to make such allegation. I never sat in any meeting where such discussions allegedly took place. The allegation is totally unfounded and it is unacceptable to us as a party” Ologbondiyan stated.

Ologbondiyan also said the party will closely monitor the review of petroleum pump price in accordance with market forces to reflect the true rate for pump price in the country.

While doing this, the party insisted that if the market forces are allowed to determine the price, the pump price rate will not be higher N70:00 per litre.

On Atiku’s aspiration to run for 2023, the party said while he has the right to aspire, the PDP will take its decision on zoning which will determine his fate.

“The PDP has not come to a discussion in respect to zoning. I want to leave it at that.”