The National Democratic Party (NDP) has emerged as the first political party to decide on its 2011 presidential ticket.
(http://thenationonlineng.net/web3/thumbnail.php?file=Pix_6_313738229.jpg&size=article_medium)Jega
After deliberations at their national convention, which took place at Chesebury Hotel in Abuja on Friday evening, the party's National Chairman, Prince Chidi Chukwuani, read resolutions that included total endorsement of former military President, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida's presidential aspiration, adding that the NDP would work with any other political party that would give its presidential ticket to the retired Gen.
"The convention hereby confirms and ratifies the NDP's long-standing support for the 2011 presidential ambition of Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, popularly known as IBB, and shall join millions of ordinary Nigerians to mobilise support for IBB's total victory in the 2011 presidential election.
The NDP convention was, however, abruptly terminated in the morning when officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), including the head of INEC's Political Monitoring Unit, Mrs. Regina Omo-Agege, arrived and raised some issues that culminated in NDP officials' decision to clarify matters at INEC headquarters.
Some of the people present stated that INEC officials raised constitutional issues, but the NDP officials insisted that what they were doing was in full compliance with the Electoral Act that is presently in operation.
Asked to confirm whether INEC approved or disapproved of NDP officials' decision to go ahead with the convention later on Friday morning, Mrs. Regina Omo-Agege did not give a definite answer, but she stated that INEC's role does not include telling political parties about going ahead to conduct a national convention.
"If they went back to conduct the convention, what they decide is not our business. Our business is to follow the laws...We do not usually give approvals for political parties' conventions," she told The Nation on telephone.
...NDP adopts IBB, as INEC disrupts convention (http://thenationonlineng.net/web3/news/17459.html)