Abuja (WorldStage Newsonline)-- The ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday issued nomination forms to its state chairmen as part of the process that will lead to it National Convention slated for 27th February.

The PDP National Organizing Secretary, Prince Uche Secondus, who issued the forms, revealed that nomination form for the office of the National Chairman will cost N1 million.

In his remarks, he warned the state chairmen to be transparent in issuing the forms as nobody should be debarred from collecting forms.

The forms also include those of covered Ward, Local Government Areas, State and Zonal congresses.

The Ward congresses will hold on 7th January, LGAs congresses 14th January, State congresses 21st January and Zonal congresses 4th February.

The cost of form for chairmanship position at ward level is, N1,000; LGA chairman, N10,000; State chairman, N 50,000 and Zonal chairman, N100,000.

Secondus said some states were being exempted from the congresses that would commenced on Saturday.

The states being exempted from the congresses for one reason or the other are: Bayelsa, Edo, Cross River, Adamawa, Katsina, Imo, Abia and all the South West states.

He explained that the whole of South West zone was kept in view pending the resolution of the meeting among the stakeholders from the zone and the National Working Committee meeting slated for Thursday.

The stakeholders in the states, according to the National Organizing Secretary, include the National Legal Adviser, Chief Olusola Oke, National Vice Chairman South West, Alhaji Tajudeen Oladipo, all the South West states chairmen and others.

At the National Secretariat of the party where the distribution and collection of the forms were made, it was alleged that the National Vice Chairman of the South West, Tajudeen Oladipo had demanded for all the forms for the zone.

According to the source, Oladipo claimed since he had just set up some of the Transitional Committee members for some of the states in the South West, it would be proper for him to handle the conduct of the congresses in the zone.

However, the National Organizing Secretary refuted knowledge of the allegation, stating that he was not aware of it.

For the South East, the National Vice Chairman, Chief Olisa Metuh explained that the exemption of Imo and Abia was because they conducted their congresses last year and it was endorsed by the National Working Committee (NWC).

Story by Adesanya Alao (adesanyaa2001@yahoo.co.uk)