Dickson defends PDP’s adoption of Jonathan as sole candidate

Bayelsa State governor, Seriake has explained that the adoption of President Goodluck Jonathan as the presidential candidate of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, was aimed at institutionalising the right of refusal for an incumbent president, as contained in the Electoral Acts and promoting stability in the political system.
Dickson explained that the president’s adoption by the PDP governors and leadership was not a declaration of sole candidacy as being presented by opposition groups.
“If President Goodluck Jonathan refuses, the elective convention will be conducted. But what we are going to have in PDP now is a non-elective convention due to the acceptance of the right of first refusal by the president. This decision is provided for by the electoral law,” he said.
Dickson, who spoke during an interactive session with newsmen in Yenagoa, said the decision aside putting an end to in-fighting among the political class during and after the primary, would also reduce the huge cost of campaigns.
According to him, “The action of the PDP state governors and the party leadership was to institutionalise the right of first refusal for an incumbent president and reduces cases of huge cost and in-fighting within existing political parties.
“Though the adoption of President Goodluck Jonathan has been wrongly termed ‘sole candidacy’ by the media and opposition groups, it is not a declaration of sole candidacy. The term ‘sole candidacy’ is a far cry from what we have done. What we have done is to stabilise the political system.
“What we have done is to say that, we don’t want to subject our members to the costly and stressful experiences. What we have said is that, once you are a President from a Political Party, you have a right of first refusal. It will reduce in-fighting and cost of lobbying and campaigns,” the governor stressed.