Reports tricking in from the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium in Port Harcourt, venue of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) national convention indicate that delegates are laughing home with thousands of dollars.
Some presidential aspirants are reported to have bribed many of the delegates with dollars with many of the more than 3,000 delegates said to have received thousands of dollars as bribes from some aspirants.
As early as Saturday morning, some of the delegates said they already had up to $9,000 each while they said that they were still expecting more.
A particular aspirant, who had taken part in a presidential primary before, was said to have first offered the delegates $2,500 each in exchange for votes. But when he heard that another aspirant offered the delegates $3000, he increased his own to $4000.
It was also learnt that the first aspirant later offered same amount of $4000, and action that forced the man who offered $4000 to increase his own to $5000. While another aspirant was also said to have offered a mere $1000.’
Meanwhile, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is said to have overtaken Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto state in the race for the PDP presidential ticket with the number of votes garnered by aspirants.
The aspirants who are taking part in the primary are former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar; Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal; Governor of Gombe State, Ibrahim Dankwambo; a former Governor of Kano State, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso; a former Governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa.
Others are the President of the Senate, Senator Bukola Saraki; a former President of the Senate, Senator David Mark; a former Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Relations, Alhaji Tanimu Turaki (SAN) and a former Governor of Plateau State, Senator Jona Jang.
Also in the race are, a former Governor of Kaduna State, Senator Ahmed Makarfi; a former Governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido and Dr. Datti Baba-Ahmed.