The Presidency on Monday disowned a group planning to embark on risk assessment of
aspirants contesting elections on the platform of
the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The group had allegedly went to town to say it
has the mandate of the Presidency to carry out
the screening exercise with a view to weeding
“undesirable” elements among the aspirants so
as to present the best among them for the 2015
elections.

However, the Presidency in a statement issued by
the Special Adviser to the President on Political
Affairs, Professor Rufai Ahmed Alkali, said the
alleged support given to the group by President
Goodluck Jonathan was not true.

Alkali said it was not the responsibility of any
group to assess or screen PDP aspirants but the
the prerogative of the national secretariat of the
party.

The statement read in part: “The attention of the
Office of the Special Adviser to the President on
Political Affairs has been drawn to publications in
some of the national dailies of November 22,
2014, claiming that the Presidency has endorsed
plans by some Support Groups to carry out a so-
called risk assessment of aspirants contesting
elections on the platform of the Peoples
Democratic Party.

“While the Special Adviser recognises the
patriotic zeal of all the Support Groups and their
activities in favour of the re-election of President
Goodluck Jonathan in the 2015 Presidential
Election, the office wishes to warn all groups to
desist from using the Office of the Special Adviser
to the President, Political Affairs, to carry out
programmes or activities without due
authorisation or permission from the office.

“For the avoidance of doubt, I wish to make it
abundantly clear that the function of determining
the suitability of candidates for elections belongs
exclusively to the National Leadership of PDP and
not to any other group.

“My office is aware that the party has put in place
screening committees for all offices and they
should be left to perform their functions.

“We wish to therefore call on Support Groups to
adhere strictly to the policies and principles of
President Jonathan in the conduct of their
activities and wish to also advise all groups
rooting for his re-election to always refer to the
Office of the Political Adviser who is also the
National Coordinator of the Goodluck Support
Group (GSG) before embarking on any project or
programmes that have serious policy implication
in the party or government.”

Alkali advised all PDP aspirants to distance
themselves from any group that approaches
them for screening outside the panel set up by
the national leadership of the PDP.





http://dailyindependentnig.com/2014/11/presidency-disowns-pdp-assessment-team/

Really ,polithievcians ?

Useless party.