National Convention: PDP draws curtain over submission of forms for elective posts
Ahead of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national convention scheduled for October 30 and 31, the party on Tuesday drew the curtain and ended submission of forms for elective positions.
To this end, many of the aspirants were seen rushing to beat the deadline for the submission date, which is October 19, 2021.
Among them was a two-term member of House of Representatives and lawyer, Hon. Debo Ologunagba who submitted his expression of interest and nomination forms for the position of National Publicity Secretary of the PDP.
Also, a former Minister and erstwhile National Woman Leader, Mrs Inna Ciroma equally submitted her own forms seeking to contest for the position of Deputy National Chairman (North).
Hajia Ciroma will be slugging it out with two others including a former Ambassador, Alhaji Umar Damagum.
A former Professor with University of Calabar, Cross River State, Prof. Stella Effah-Attoe, also submitted her form for the position of National Woman Leader, describing herself as a “politician with academic background.”
Ambassador Usman Sani Elkudan, who similarly threw his hat in the ring to contest the position of PDP National Youth Leader of the main opposition party in the country, also submitted his expression of interest and nomination forms at the party’s National Secretariat.
Addressing journalists shortly after submitting her form, Prof Effah-Attoe said, “I have filled the forms adequately and I have submitted few minutes ago. I have very deep interest in women affairs. People have asked, Why are you going for National Woman Leader, why not any other position?
“I said well, in as much as National Woman Leader is zoned to my zone, I normally would have gone for it because of my passion for women. I am very passionate about women.
“Over the years I’ve been involved deeply in women issues. Like I said earlier, apart from being a female politician, I have done a lot of work in the academic field concerning women and gender issues.
“So I’m deeply rooted in gender women, issues, not only practically but theoretically, I have a lot of publications on women. I am much involved in women issues.”
Ologunagba on his part said, “Like I always say, the superpower is in PDP, where the hope resides. So, two things are going to be key in this communication mantra, it will be retrieved and restored.
“We want to restore the country back to the PDP days when it was easy for you to go to bed, at 10pm and take your car and drive down to Lokoja and come back.
“We want a situation where kids will go to school, and they won’t be kidnapped. We want to restore fundamental freedoms that are guaranteed for instance, the freedom to worship.”
Promising to work with other national officers to provide the best qualities of leadership for the party, if elected, Hajia Ciroma said, “as the Deputy National Chairman for the North, I will particularly work with our leaders to mobilize the support that is required to see that the states lost by PDP in 2015 are all reclaimed.
“If offered this position, I will maintain an open-door policy and I will keep my promise to serve within the best possible standards conscious of the need to be impartial, objective and an open facilitator.
“The 2023 election is a task that must be done, and we need a winning formula, knowing the difficulties Nigerians are now faced with.”
The aspirant for the National Youth Leader, Usman Elkudan, promised that PDP youth will be taught how to become tech savvy, to farm and trade, iaf given the mandate.
“Therefore, with the support and acceptance that this declaration of interest to contest has garnered, it is obvious that Usman Elkudan is friendly with the youths, and the youths are as well pleased with him,” his National Campaign Co-ordinator, Hon Aderemi Olusegun declared.
He said: “In terms of Capacity and Competence Amb. Elkudan is the right Choice. Therefore, on behalf of the PDP Youth Wing of our party, we present to you Amb Usman Sani El-kudan to contest for the office of The PDP National Youth Leader as our Consensus Candidate.”
