Atiku: Automatic Ticket is Unconstitutional

Atiku Abubakar

The suggestion by the chairman, Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Tony Anenih, that President Goodluck Jonathan and governors of the party should be given automatic tickets to contest the 2015 election has drawn flak from former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. In a statement last night in Abuja by his media office, Atiku said such an arrangement was unconstitutional and a “travesty of democracy.”

The former vice president said he remained opposed to “consensus arrangement” and “adoption” in the choice of candidates, stressing that transparent election to produce candidates for all elective offices, including the presidency, remains the best option.

Recalling his experiences in court to challenge what he called undemocratic arrangements of choosing candidates by means other than free and fair primaries, Atiku said the courts ruled that the policy was alien to the PDP and Nigerian constitutions.

“My position remains that as far as PDP constitution is concerned, any attempt to change the party's rule to favour the President as a sole candidate in the event of his willingness to re-contest is unconstitutional. The contest should be open to all desiring to pursue an ambition on the platform of the PDP,” the former vice president said.

Anenih had suggested during the “Peoples Democratic Party family dinner” held at the State House, Abuja, Thursday night that giving automatic tickets to the country’s incumbent chief executive and state chief executives “who have performed well” would help to eliminate the rancour and undue dissipation of energy and resources that often attends primary elections in the country.

“I do not see anything wrong, if the PDP considers automatic tickets for the President and its governors who have performed well and are seeking for a second term.

“It is my view that with the outstanding performance of President Jonathan in the areas of power, rail and water transportation, road construction, aviation reforms, education, agriculture, job creation, etc., the party should not find it difficult in granting him the opportunity to serve a second term, if he so desires,” Anenih said.