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Sub-Saharan Africa

The PDP Primary Begins

By experts and staff

Published
  • John Campbell
    Ralph Bunche Senior Fellow for Africa Policy Studies
Delegates queue to vote during the primaries of the ruling People’s Democratic Party in the federal capital Abuja January 13, 2011. (Afolabi Sotunde/Courtesy Reuters)

Sahara Reporters describes the PDP primary and convention as essentially an auction for the presidential nomination.

Based on the 2006 convention, this description rings true. However, I suspect that the size of the individual bribes is understated, and that there is plenty of intimidation as outlined in a plan that includes as many sticks as carrots. The Jonathan and Abubakar camps each accused the other of being its author. But nobody denied its likely veracity.