In no distant time the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will organize her primaries for aspirants eyeing the presidential seat, governorship positions, National Assembly seats and that of the state Assemblies. However, several aspirants across the nation have indicated their interest to occupy the various seats that might be vacated in May 29, 2015. In Rivers State, much are not heard of aspirants gunning for the state and national Assemblies. But those politicians who are aspiring to occupy the Brick House in order to succeed Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi are too numerous to mention. Their campaign posters are flooded within and outside the capital city of Port Harcourt. Information reaching our political desk had it that as the party primaries come closer, the Rivers State chapter of PDP has fixed N11m for the sale of governorship’s nomination/intent declaration forms, the gubernatorial nomination and the intent declaration forms as we are reliably gathered will soon be out for sale. Impeccable sources hinted this publication that the leadership of the party in the state come out with the said amount for the purchase and collection of the nomination and the intent declaration form for gubernatorial aspirants in its recent meeting held in Port Harcourt. With the amount fixed for the purchase of the forms, most of the governorship aspirants have sunk their ambition for lack of financial resources. A party chieftain who pleaded for anonymity gave our political correspondent the breakdown of the said N11m. According to him, the nomination form is fixed for N10m, while the intent declaration form goes for N1m. He described the amount fixed for the purchase and collection of the forms as “moderate and considerate”. Some gubernatorial aspirants who called our office through mobile cell phone told our Editor that the N11m for the purchase of the nomination and intent declaration forms will be too much for them to bear. They described it as “outrageous” and an attempt to scheme them out of the governorship race. “N11m is too high for most of us who are contesting the gubernatorial seat”, one of the aspirants told our Editor, and according to him if the state leadership of the party fails to rescind on its decision to review the said amount, that the governorship hopefuls will have no option than to petition the Hon. Felix Amaechi Obuah led executive of the party. “The governorship seat is not for sale, so why should aspirant be tasked to pay a total sum of N11m”? One gubernatorial aspirant asked rhetorically. He, however appealed that level playing ground should be provided for all the gubernatorial aspirants to exercise their political popularity, than to devise unnecessary means to push them out of the race. ###
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