PDP Rakes In N918m From 127 Guber, 13 Presidential Aspirants

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday closed purchase of expression of interest and nomination forms with the party raking into its coffers N918 million from presidential and governorship aspirants.

While 13 presidential aspirants picked expression of interest and nomination forms, 127 aspirants, according to findings by our correspondent, picked forms for governorships across the six geopolitical zones.

The party had pegged the cost of presidential expression of interest and nomination forms at N12 million, while governorship form is pegged at N6 million.

At the cost of N12 million, the total cost for the 13 presidential aspirants is N156 million, while at the cost of N6 million for governorship forms, the total for the 127 aspirants is N762 million.

North Central zone has the highest number of aspirants for governorship, followed by North West, North East, South East, South South and South West.

Plateau State has the highest number with 13 aspirants; Kwara and Gombe, 11 aspirants each; Kaduna, 10; Katsina, 8; Benue, Adamawa and Imo have seven each.

Ogun, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Rivers, Abia, Enugu, Ebonyi and Taraba states have one aspirant each.

Zone by zone breakdown of the number of aspirants, according to findings, show that in North Central, Nasarawa has five, Kwara, 11; Plateau, 13, Benue, seven and Niger, five. The tenure of Kogi State governor has not yet expired.

The number of aspirants in North West, Kano, five; Kaduna, 10; Katsina, eight; Jigawa, five; Kebbi, 4; Sokoto, two and Zamfara, two.

Aspirants for North East, Taraba, one; Bauchi, four; Gombe, 11; Adamawa, seven; Borno, three and Yobe, two.

In South East, Ebonyi has one; Imo, seven; Enugu, one, and Abia, one. Anambra State is not under contention as the tenure of the present governor is yet to be over.

In South West, Ogun has one aspirant, Oyo has two and Lagos, two. Ondo, Ekiti and Osun states are not part of 2019 election.

In South South, Cross River has four aspirants; Delta has one; Akwa Ibom has one and Rivers, one. Edo and Bayelsa are not part of the 2019 election.

Meanwhile, a governorship aspirant from Plateau State, Jimmy Cheto on Monday said that when elected he will take on the Federal Government to address the issue of Hausa/Fulani herdsmen clashes.

Cheto, who was at the PDP national secretariat to submit his expression of interest and nomination forms, said, “On the Hausa/Fulani herdsmen, we’ll take it on seriously with the Federal Government to ensure it stopped.

“My plans are very simple. I will take security as number one. Because, security today in Plateau State is very bad. People don’t like coming to the state. People now fear passing through the state.

“There’s division among the people both in ethnic and religious lines. If elected, I would ensure there’s love and peace between the people as I will govern them with love and understanding. Once the issue of social insecurity is fixed, I’ll look at terrorism clearly.”

Asked if he will enact anti-grazing law if elected the governor, the aspirant said, “Well, let me see a success story in the states where that is enacted. Once there’s a success story, we’ll go along the line.”