The Abubakar Mahdi-led Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) association is forging ahead with its resolve to ensure that the PDM political party is de-registered.
Rising from a meeting of its Executive Committee and States’ Working Committees, which held at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja, the association resolved to initiate both administrative and legal processes to determine the registration of the party with a view to ensuring the withdrawal of the registration certificate.
Prompt News recalls that the association had kicked against what it called the secret registration of the Movement as a political party with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by Bashir Ibrahim Yusuf, its Protem National Chairman.
As part of the strategies to weaken the PDM political party, the PDM association, which is the political family of the late Major General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, has been wooing back some of the members who attended the meeting where they also renounced their membership of the PDM party.
Prominent among those who returned to the PDM association from the PDM party were Alhaji Iliyasu Dhacko, Hajiya Fati Usman Kilani, Senator Dan Yako (members of the Party’s National Advisory Committee). They also included zonal coordinators of the Party, namely: Barrister Ibrahim Abdulhamid (North Central), Alhaji Abdulahi Gumel (North West), Maigari M (North East), Inifom Udofia (South-south), Oyunba Adeyemi (South West) and Nwachukwu Chucks (South East).
A four-page communiqué of the meeting signed by the Chairman of PDM association, Senator Abubakar Mahdi reads: “After robust, extensive and painstaking deliberations, the meeting resolved as follows:
That PDM (with STAR as its logo) remains the oldest political association with the widest and largest structures in Nigeria, whose members are spread across all parties but much more dominant in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
That by virtue of the preponderance of its members being active members and leaders in the PDP, PDM is able to play the role of a pressure group within the PDP, contributing, in the process, to its growth, unity and stability.
That the PDM has been performing these functions since 1998 when it played a frontline role in the formation of the PDP along with some other political associations; and was appreciated and compensated with the position of Vice President of the country, among other appointments.
That notwithstanding the dubious attempt by some members of PDM, who used the name and acronym of the association to register as a political party with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) using “TORCH” as their logo, PDM (with STAR as logo) remains the association of loyalists and associates of our inimitable political mentor, the late General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua (Tafidan Katsina).
That the impression being created in the media that the PDM, which was surreptitiously registered as a political party belongs to the loyalists and associates of the late General Yar’Adua, is mischievous and patently wrong.
That PDM, therefore, calls on the leadership of the PDP to accord more recognition to the association as it continues to act as a binding force in the party which is in line with the political philosophy and legacy of oneness of the late Shehu Yar’Adua.
That following the return of many members who were deceived into the PDM, which was registered as a political party to the PDM association as witnessed through their attendance at today’s meeting, the meeting resolved that investing considerable energy in the consolidation of the association and reconciliation of members within and outside the association should be given priority attention.
That to realize the above, the meeting resolved to set up and did set up a five-member Rapid Response Committee under the Chairmanship of Alhaji Shuaibu Y. Abdullahi with Dr Dorncklaimz Enamhe as Secretary, saddled with the task of going round the country with the aim of bringing back all members of PDM to the association.
That the PDM association is convinced that the antics of those who surreptitiously registered PDM as a political party should not be allowed to stand, considering genuine efforts that are being made to reform and bolster the credibility of the political system.
That consequently, the meeting resolved that both administrative and legal processes should be initiated for the determination of the registration of PDM as a political party with a view to ensuring the withdrawal of the registration certificate.
In attendance at the meeting were Dr Farouk Abdulazeez, former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Hon. Dubem Onyia, former Minister of State for Defence, Mr Murtala Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, Chief Onyia Ejiofor and Dr Bala Ahmed Tafida, among others.
The communiqué said the meeting observed a minute silence in memory of all the great Nigerians who lost their lives in the series of Boko Haram attacks on civilian populations in Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Benue, Nasarawa, Plateau, Kaduna and Zamfara States; and in the recent Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) recruitment tragedy in some centres across the country.
