PDP Convention: You Will Be Disqualified If You Bribe Delegates – Makarfi Warns Aspirants

The Chairman, National Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ahmed Makarfi, has warned National Chairmanship aspirants of the party against inducing delegates during the party’s national convention.
He warned that any of the aspirants that bribed or induced delegates would be disqualified from contesting at the convention slated for December 9 in Abuja.
Although, he did not disclose how the party would monitor the aspirants and their agents, he added that any aspirant that violated the rules could still be disqualified on the day of convention.
This was declared as part of the peace accord signed by seven of the aspirants at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja on Tuesday.
The seven aspirants who endorsed the peace accord are Prof. Tunde Adeniran, Prince Uche Secondus, Chief Gbenga Daniel, Rashidi Ladoja, Prof. Taoheed Adedoja, Dr. Raymond Dokpesi and Mr. Jimi Agbaje.
The last aspirant, Chief Olabode George, was absent from the event but was said to have secured the permission of the leadership of the party to sign the document on Thursday.
“We will support whoever emerges amongst us as the National Chairman of our great party as long as the process is transparent, free and fair in accordance with the provisions of the constitution of the party and guidelines of the elective national convention,” the accord read in part.
“No aspirant shall leave the party or encourage his or her supporters, promoters etc to do so, as a result of the outcome of the national chairmanship election at the elective national convention;
“Any breach of the 2015 zero expenditure policy of the party, which prohibits the use of monetary inducement including lodging of delegates and providing money for votes, shall not be tolerated in the 2017 national elective convention and shall be grounds for disqualification on or before the 9th of December, 2017;
“Any aspirant/sponsor/supporter/financier, proven to have done anything contrary to the agreements reached herein and in circumstances that suggest the knowledge of the undersigned persons shall be disqualified from contesting the national chairmanship election.
“Solemnly abide by and uphold the tenets of this national chairmanship election according to which we hereby voluntarily subscribe.”