Ticket To Heaven: PDP Pegs N1million For LGA Chairmanship Aspirants

…Releases Time table For Party Primaries.

By Miracle Enuji

As part of preparations for the January 6, 2018 Local government Elections in Delta State, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the State has taken a swift lead by rolling out its time table and prices of forms for its Chairmanship and Councillorship Aspirants.

The State Party Chairman, Barr. Kingsley Esiso while addressing the press, disclosed that aspirants interested in the Chairmanship positions will pay the sum of One Million Naira (N1,000,000) each to acquire the nomination forms and Councillorship aspiration forms will cost Two hundred Thousand Naira (N200,000) each. He however noted that forms are free of charge for all women who indicate interest from the party.

Esiso who was sandwiched by top echelon of the party, announced that, the sales of forms to aspirants will commence from Tuesday 10th to Tuesday 17th October, 2017 while screening will take place between Wednesday 18th – Saturday 21st October, 2017. In his words, “The screening for councillorship aspirants will take place at the Senatorial District level while the Screening for the Chairmen will hold at the Party’s headquarters in Asaba” he emphasized.

He furthered stated that Party Primaries for Councillors and Chairmen will hold on Wednesday 25th and Thursday 26th of October 2017 respectively at the local government party secretariats. Run off primaries and consideration of Appeals will subsequently take place on Friday 27th and Saturday 28th October, 2017.

Barr. Esiso who appeared evasive while answering series of inquisitive questions from journalists, almost turned the session into a religious gathering by frequently offering prayers against any outbreak of factionalization and decamping by yet to be aggrieved members after the party’s primaries.

Barr. Kingsley Esiso With Delta State PDP Executives at a Press Briefing

Responding to the recent development of mock primaries in the party, the Chairman said, “it is true that for the past two months, some form of exercises have been taken place in the various wards and local governments to select candidates for the party. We decided as a party that we should use our head, do some thinking and come up with a novel idea considering two things. One the money paid for the forms is not refundable and because it is not refundable, let us avoid the old practice when we allow everybody that want to aspire to come here and buy forms.”

Secondly, He stated that the process was to forestall incidence that may cause rancor in the party after the primaries due to the huge amount paid for the purchase of forms.

Esiso stressed that, the party directed ward leaders to lobby all aspirants for the different positions on the need to allow only one person to pick up nomination form adding that same applied for chairmanship aspirants were the LGA leaders played their role of limiting the purchase of the party’s ticket to just an individual. He however noted that the outcome of the exercise does not erase the intent to contest the party’s primaries by individuals who were not satisfied with the process.

It will be noted that when aspirants emerge as the Party’s Candidate after the primaries, he will then proceed to acquire DSIEC form of which the price is yet to be revealed.