The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Nigeria’s main opposition party, has again extended the closing dates for the purchase and submission of expression of interest and nomination forms for the 2023 general elections to April 14 and April 17 respectively.
Debo Ologunagba, the party’s national publicity secretary, disclosed this in a statement titled ‘2023: PDP adjusts timetable, announces further extension of sales of nomination forms,’ issued in Abuja on Thursday.
Under the new timelines, the last day for the purchase of all forms has been extended to Thursday, April 14, while the last day for the submission of all forms has been extended to April 17.
Under the adjusted timetable, the following dates have been fixed for screening of aspirants for various positions: state House of Assembly: April 19; National Assembly: April 20; governorship: April 21; Presidential: April 25.
Screening Appeals are scheduled as follows: State House of Assembly: April 21; National Assembly: April 22; Governorship: April 26; Presidential: April 27.
The party also instructed that all duly completed state assembly forms are to be submitted at the various States Secretariat of the Party.
With 13 presidential aspirants who have already picked forms, the PDP has so far made N486m from the sales of expression of interest and nomination forms since March 17, 2022.
The presidential nomination form costs N35m while the Expression of Interest form is N5m, totaling N40m per aspirant. However, female presidential aspirants would pay N1m and N5m respectively for nomination and the Expression of Interest forms.
Those who have obtained forms include Governors Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State, Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State, investment banker and economist, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen; former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi; former President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria and ex-chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, Sam Ohuabunwa, a United States-based medical doctor, Nwachukwu Anakwenze; publisher, Dele Momodu.
Others include former vice president Atiku Abubakar; former senate president Bukola Saraki; former secretary to the government of the Federation Pius Anyim and Oliver Diana.