Founding leaders of Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM), led by a pressure group within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the nation’s political space, Chief Tony Anenih have urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to reconsider the registration of PDM as a party.
The Movement under the chairmanship of Senator Abubakar Mahdi rose from a meeting of its founding fathers and Elders’ Committee in Abuja Wednesday with a communiqué demanding INEC to act in accordance with its call for the purpose of withdrawing the registration of PDM which it (INEC) granted registration as a party about three months ago.
Anenhi’s group claimed that some members of the Movement, under the interim chairmanship of Malam Bashir Ibrahim Yusuf, had secretly filed papers with the INEC for the transformation of the Movement into a political party, which the electoral body approved.
The Mahdi-led PDM, which said Yusuf and his collaborators acted clandestinely without consultation and due process, has continued to insist that the Movement remains a pressure group in the PDP and the nation’s political space.
After the meeting of the founding fathers and members of the Elders’ Committee for several hours at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja on Wednesday, the Movement resolved to concur with the views expressed by Zonal Coordinators and State Working Committees representing 28 states of the Federation that “rejected the registration of PDM as a political party without consultation and due process, and calls on INEC to reconsider the registration of PDM as a party for the purpose of withdrawing the registration.”
According to a two page communiqué, signed by the Chairman of the meeting, Dr Farouk Abdulazeez, the Movement reviewed the current impasse in the PDP and appreciated efforts of President Goodluck Jonathan and the Party Leadership in ensuring a speedy resolution and reconciliation of the issues involved.
The communiqué quoted the Movement to have resolved at the meeting to maintain its status as a pressure group within PDP and deploy it in support of all PDP candidates in all future elections at all levels.
Also,the Movement noted and appreciated all its members who have kept faith with its original mission and vision.
According to the communiqué, “The meeting was well attended by a cross section of founding fathers and leaders including, among others, Dr Farouk Abdualzeez, Chief Tony Anenih, Chief Chris Agbobu, Senator Hamisu Musa, Senator Abubakar Mahdi, Engineer Afam Nwana, Hon. Dubem Onyia, Alhaji Murtala Shehu Musa Yar Adua, Alhaji Bala Hadith and Senator Ifeanyi Araraume.
“The meeting remembered and observed a minute silence in memory of some departed founding fathers and members of the PDM; those remembered for their invaluable contributions are: General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua (Tafidan Katsina), Alhaji M.S. Buhari, Mrs Maria Ekeh, Alhaji Haruna Elewi, Ambassador Bidmus, President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, Alhaji Ibrahim Shehu Kwatalo, Chief John Okpa, Senator Polycarp Nwite, Senator Paul Ukpo, Mrs Wyte, Barrister Chinedu, Alhaji Abubakar Koko, Senator Chuba Okadigbo, Alhaji Ismaila, Alhaji Iro Dan Musa, Mr Dan Etukudo, Chief Ojo Fadumila, Alhaji S.A. Lawal, Dr Olatunji Mohammed, Alhaji Amasa Jidda, Wada Abubakar, Chief Lamidi Adedibu, Chief S.M. Afolabi, Alhaji Shitta Bey, Chief Eric Aso and Alhaji Ahmed Rufai.”
But Stakeholders of Yusuf led PDM which has been registered as a political party fired back with a lengthy statement thus:
“Today some members of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, under the direction of the Chairman of PDP Board of Trustees, held a meeting in Abuja to take a stand on the registration of Peoples Democratic Movement, PDM. The meeting purportedly rejected the registration PDM as a political party on the false ground that enough consultations were not made before the registration was agreed upon. We understand that those former members of PDM who prefer to stay in PDP are aggrieved that PDM has jumped the sinking ship to become a political party in its own right. Now that 2015 is around the corner, they want to use PDM again to feather their nest and sustain a decade-old fraud to remain politically relevant. We are aware a number of those associated with the meeting have fallen on hard times while others are being misinformed and misled. We urge them to seek out the truth and reflect and not rush to judgment. We urge them not to compromise their principles for a pittance and soil their name.
“While we respect the right of individuals to decide for themselves how and with whom they wish to associate, we reject the idea that some can dictate to others how and with whom they can to associate. This is the first time in the political history of Nigeria that members of one political party will constitute themselves into a conclave to determine that another political party has no right to exist. That some people will insist they own the exclusive franchise to the PDM brand to the exclusion of everybody else is not only undemocratic and arrogant but it is also against the letter and spirit of our Constitution which guarantees every citizen the right to freely associate. PDM is not an exclusive club for the highly privileged and, certainly, not the property of any individual no matter how highly placed. As a registered political party, PDM is open to every Nigerian who wishes to join, including those who deny involvement in its registration out of cowardice. To be a political party had always been the dream of PDM’s founding fathers as opposed to opportunists who want to cling to the name and use it only when it serves their selfish interests. Those who don’t want to join PDM are free not to but they should perish the thought of using us again to negotiate political appointments.
“The history of PDM is like that of several other organizations, with its fair share of ups and downs. In the last one decade PDM as an organization, had become comatose, if not dead. About two years ago, a group of younger elements within the organization took the initiative, following wide consultations, to breathe life into it and eventually voted to pull out of Peoples Democratic Party and register it as a political party in order to open it up to all Nigerians who wish to join. Some people have alleged they have not been consulted before this was done. What we would like to know is, do those making this claim have a higher stake in PDM than us? Is PDM a secret club or is it only an instrument for feathering some members’ nest? Why is anyone afraid that PDM is now open to all Nigerians instead of to a very small group? Where were these self-appointed PDM leaders all this time when the organization and its members fell on hard times? Why didn’t we hear their voice or see them meet before now, for over a decade?
“To now call a congregation of aggrieved PDP members who never spoke about PDM in the last one decade, other than when they seek favours in its name, to decide the fate of a political party other than the one to which they belong, is not only ridiculous but it is also arrogant. Those who wish to stay inside the PDP to pursue their political career and interests are free to do so but they must not impose their preference on everybody else. Those who wish to belong to the past are free to do so but they must not try to hinder those who wish to move on. As a political party, PDM is a legal entity registered under the law. PDP members have no right to congregate in order to decide its fate. The days of imposition are over. That is precisely why PDM and PDP had to part ways.
“Nor is the argument that PDM was founded to be a pressure group true. It is inexplicable that any genuine and serious member of PDM could make such a claim. In its various forms, PDM had sought registration as a political party twice, first as PFN in 1989 and as PDM in 1995. On both occasions, our aspiration to become a political party was very strong but it was callously denied by the military. A genuine member of PDM who is not playing out any other person’s script should be thankful to those who were able to register it as a political party after failure to do so twice in the last twenty five years. For some of us, this is a dream come true. Those who claim to be elders should stop ridiculing themselves.
“ We the undersigned wish to dissociate ourselves from the meeting of November 13th and from any attempt to create the impression of the existence of any PDM group outside the political party registered under the law. The existence of two PDMs is the figment of the imagination of those who are playing out a PDP script. Time has come for those who truly believe in PDM to take a stand. To insist on being a member of PDP and PDM at the same time amounts to fraud. We call on security and law enforcement agencies to take note and do their job before this sponsored mischief gets out of hand.
