Anenih, others to INEC: De-register PDM

Some members of the Peoples Democratic Movement, a pressure group within the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, are still not comfortable with the registration of the Movement as a political party by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Rising from a meeting of what it called the founding fathers and elders at the Shehu Musa Yar’adua Centre, Abuja, the group accused the National Chairman of the PDM, Bashir Ibrahim Yusuf, of secretly registering the movement as a political party without the knowledge and approval of the founding fathers.
Consequently, the meeting, which was chaired by Senator Abubakar Mahdi, in a two-page communiqué issued on Thursday, called on INEC to de-register the PDM as a political party.
About three months ago, INEC announced the registration of PDM as a political party and has since been functioning as such.
But Mahdi and other members of the PDM faction, including the Chairman of PDP Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih, are insisting Yusuf and his collaborators acted clandestinely without consultation and due process.
They have continued to insist that the Movement remains a pressure group in the PDP and the nation’s political space.
The meeting of the founding fathers and members of the Elders’ Committee, which held for several hours on Wednesday, also 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.”
In the communiqué, Dr. Farouk Abdulazeez said the meeting 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 the PDP and deploy it in support of all PDP candidates in all future elections at all levels.
The Movement noted and appreciated all its members who have kept faith with its original mission and vision.
It reads further in part: “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.”