06.03.2007 - Source: US Department of State

Party leadership imposed from the presidency; internal pressure should limit members' ability to select leadership ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2006") [ID 19878]

"Internal pressure, including threats, was exerted on members of the ruling PDP to limit their ability to select the party's leadership. Party leadership was imposed from the presidency, and Obasanjo was given a lifetime party leadership post. The process for selecting party candidates was not transparent, and rifts between President Obasanjo and Vice President Atiku Abubakar led to the disenfranchisement of a number of persons in the party's internal political processes. Most party candidates were pressured to step down, and those who remained were not allowed to campaign at the party convention in December. The PDP required persons interested in running for president on the party's ticket to pay $39,060 (five million naira) for a PDP nomination form. The PDP offered the forms to female candidates for an "expression fee" of $78 (10,000 naira)."

Document(s): Open document

07.2006 - Source: Freedom House

President ensured that supporters of the vice president were unable to vote in the Peoples Democratic Party congresses in 2005 ("Countries at the Crossroads 2006") [ID 18286]

"Worryingly, the president himself appeared to grow less interested in accountability and free elections in 2005. Early in the year he packed the leadership of the ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), with his supporters, who then ensured that backers of the president's main rival, the vice president, were unable to vote in the PDP party congresses from October to December 2005. This move has ensured that the president's supporters will have a lock on determining who can run in the PDP primaries in late 2006."

Document(s): Open document

07.2006 - Source: Freedom House

President ensured that supporters of the vice president were unable to vote in the Peoples Democratic Party congresses in 2005 ("Countries at the Crossroads 2006") [ID 18286]

"Worryingly, the president himself appeared to grow less interested in accountability and free elections in 2005. Early in the year he packed the leadership of the ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), with his supporters, who then ensured that backers of the president's main rival, the vice president, were unable to vote in the PDP party congresses from October to December 2005. This move has ensured that the president's supporters will have a lock on determining who can run in the PDP primaries in late 2006."

Document(s): Open document