Jonathan ‘to pick PDP form’ before deadline

President Goodluck Jonathan will pick ‎the presidential nomination form of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before the October 30, 2014, he told party leaders on Thursday.

He will formally declare his interest anytime between November 7 and 15, according to the guidelines given to a committee that will work on the declaration.

At a meeting on Thursday afternoon at House 7 of the Presidential Villa and presided over by Jonathan, Bello Halliru Mohammed, former acting PDP national chairman, was appointed to head the declaration committee.

The committee is expected to pick a suitable date within the one-week window in November.

The committee is made up of members from the six geo-political zones and FCT.

Other members of the committee are Ken Nnamani (deputy chairman), Enugu; Anyim Pius Anyim (secretary), Ebonyi; Rufa’i Ahmed Alkali (member), Gombe; Julius Imagwe, (member), Edo; and Baraka Sani, Kano (member).

Governors representing zones are: Liyel Imoke, Cross River (south-south), Theodore Orji, Abia (south-east), Olusegun Mimiko, Ondo (south-west), Mua’zu Babangida Aliyu, Niger (north-central), Ibrahim Shema, Katsina (north-west) and Ibrahim Dankwambo, Gombe (north-east).

The national assembly representatives are Hosea Agboola (Oyo), Ahmed Makarfi (Kaduna), Bitrus Kaze (Plateau) and Salmas Badru (Ogun).

The cabinet representatives are Dieziani Alison-Madueke ‎(Bayelsa), Abduljelili Adesiyan (Osun), Zainab Maina (Adamawa), and Bala Mohammed (Bauchi).

The party’s officials on the committee are deputy national chairman, Uche Secondus‎ (Rivers); Benue State PDP chairman, Emmanuel Egbo (Benue) Kema Chikwe (Imo) and north-west zonal Chairman, Ibrahim Kazaure (Jigawa).

Party members Stella Umo (Delta), Walid Jibirn (Nasarawa), Ibrahim Bunu (Borno), Jolly Nyame (Taraba), Aneta Okon (Akwa Ibom), Peter Obi (Anambra), Remi Adiuku Bakare (Lagos), and A. B. Mamman (FCT).

Others are Halima Alfa (Kogi), Nigeria ambassador to Netherlands, Nimota Nihinlola Akanbi (Kwara), FCT ALGON Chairman, Micah Yohanna Jiba ‎(FCT) and Sam Ikon (Akwa Ibom).

At another meeting, also held at the presidential villa, a funding raising committee was set up for the campaign headed by Jerry Gana, former minister of information.