The National chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr Iyorchia Ayu, has berated politicians on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who have been picking presidential nomination forms for N100 million each, despite the precarious situation in the country at the moment, accusing them of using ‘bullion van money’ to purchase the tickets.
While receiving one of the presidential aspirants, the Governor of Sokoto State and Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, Aminu Tambuwal, on Saturday at the national secretariat of the party in Abuja, the party leader asserted that whereas the ruling party’s nomination form is exorbitant, the PDP has made it possible for ordinary Nigerians to participate in the election process.
According to him, the main opposition party would not like to be a party similar to those he referred to as pretenders and hypocrites, destroying people by garnering huge resources they move in bullion vans to buy forms.
He said: ‘We are a democratic party, the people’s party, and that is why you can see even in our nomination forms we were democratic. We made sure that ordinary people can also participate in an election. Not like the other party where a form costs a hundred million and yet, they have no money to pay for our education and ASUU is on strike. They are the party in government.
‘It’s like everybody was simply cornering a lot of money to buy presidential forms. We don’t believe in that. We believe in full democracy of the ordinary people. And therefore, from House of Assembly, all the way to those of you who are running for president, we took into account the country in distress.
Read Also: 2023: PDP Distances Self From Akpabio’s Campaign Banners
‘We would not overtax you. We would make sure that we give every ordinary person the chance to participate in the democratic process.
‘And we hope we would continue to remain a true democratic party and not a party of pretenders and hypocrites who are destroying our people and making life impossible for them and then, keeping huge quantities of money to buy nomination forms.”
Ayu, who was responding to Tambuwal’s call for PDP not to succumb to pressure going into the national convention, noted that all 15 presidential aspirants in the party are capable of solving the nation’s problems within a short time.
He added: ‘As you said, the country needs a very serious leader, a visionary leader who is fair and justice, who can turn around the fortunes of the country in a very short time. And I’m sure that PDP has 17 quality people.
‘In fact, sometimes I say maybe we should just share the time, everybody should do president for three months after another person will takes over. All of you are competent.
‘You’re one of those who are very well prepared with your experience in both legislative and the executive arm of government. And also your legal background. You will actually run the country with the fear of God and the rule of law.
‘So, we are happy to have you here today. Our job in receiving you is very simple. It is to assure you that this party is not just being rebuilt on our leadership, but the party has grown stronger in a very short time.
‘However, it is certain that it will grow from strength to strength and grow even stronger so that the cries of Nigerians today whether in the area of the economy, agriculture, security will be addressed. Nigerians are yearning for us to come back. We don’t want to come back in a disorganized way. We want to come back, organised, united and strong enough to solve the problems of Nigeria.
‘We are happy that we’ll have quality leadership among you and certainly, the party delegates will decide ultimately which one of you that will emerge as the candidate.’
Ayu had admitted that the party leadership was under pressure but promised to ensure a level-playing ground for all aspirants and to conduct a transparent convention.