Jonathan, Atiku, Jubril Grilled By PDP Committee

Goodluck Jonathan (left) Atiku Abubaka (right)

Goodluck Jonathan (left) Atiku Abubaka (right)

Three of the four presidential aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, were today screened by the Ten-man presidential screening committee. Those who appeared and were screened include President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, former vice president Atiku Abubakar and Sarah Jubril, the only female aspirant on the platform of the party. The screening was conducted behind closed door.

Goodluck Jonathan (left) Atiku Abubaka (right)

President Jonathan was the first to appear and be screened by the panel. The president, who was accompanied by PDP governors, arrived the venue at about 12:45 to the waiting hands of the committee members.

About 30mins later, he emerged from the screening room. He described the exercise as rigorous, adding that the disagreement that characterised the party primaries at the state level were expected judging by the size of the party.

Next to be screened was Sarah Jubril. She described the exercise as thorough. She opined that the committee asked her questions relating to her decision to contest for the highest office in the land to which she responded by saying that she is desirous of restoring the lost glory of the country.

“The issue I have on the table has to do with ethics and to ensure that we prevent corruption and to ensure that we move on with development. We need to empower the people. My business is to re-model and re-nurture Nigeria back to sanity,” she said.

Former vice president Atiku Abubakar who was the last to take his turn on arrival at the screening room was accorded his respect as a former number two person in the country before they followed up with the grilling.

After the screening, the former veepee told reporters that the committee was a good one and that he was not expecting the committee to disqualify him.

As the most formidable opponent and obstacle to the return of President Jonathan, Atiku’s aspiration has attracted so much attention, interest, criticism and litigation.

But he simply told reporters that he was not perturbed and there is nothing whatsoever that should warrant disqualification.

He said the committee asked him questions bordering on his exit and return to the party as well as the critical comments he made about the party why he was out of it.

To these, he offered logical answers. He added that the committee admitted that it was not a tribunal or and an investigative body, therefore, it cannot treat the issues of alleged indictment by the American Senate as well as the flurry of litigations instituted by his opponents to get him disqualified from the race.

The fourth aspirant, Aminu Sani Dutsima as at 5 p.m., the time of filing this report, did not turn up. He had earlier dragged President Jonathan and the party to court over the failure of the party to adhere strictly to the principle of zoning enshrined in the party’s constitution.

The Chairman of the committee, Alhaji Aminu Wali while speaking with P.M.NEWS after the exercise, maintained that the committee will adhere strictly to the guidelines issued the committee by the party. He also could not confirm if they had discovered anything that would warrant the disqualification of any of the aspirants.

By Desmond Utomwen/Abuja

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