2015: GANG UP AGAINST JONATHAN WILL FAIL, SAYS ANENIH

• Discontent as PDM sidelines key members

Leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party in the South-South geo-political zone met in Calabar last night and resolved not to be part of “any gang up” against President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan ahead of the 2015 presidential election and also endorsed the second term ambition of the president.

Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the PDP, Chief Tony Anenih who spoke on behalf of others said any leader of the South-South not supporting Jonathan, his programmes and ambition “should have his or her head examined as the person may not be in tune with the times or Nigeria’s political history.”

He pleaded that the South-South should not be part of the gang up to bring the president down and thus ridicule him as no zone in the country has done that before adding that any gang up against Jonathan would fail as the president was rebuilding Nigeria evident in massive infrastructure development across the country and delivery of other dividends of democracy.

"Anybody from the South-South whether governor or speaker or state chairman of the party or any other person who does not understand the importance of supporting Jonathan should have his head examined.

God and ancestors of the zone will not forgive anyone who plans to do that as this is a rare opportunity which the South-South that lays Nigeria’s golden eggs has at the presidency and should not be toyed with,” he said.

Commenting on the issue of automatic ticket for the President, Anenih said there was no reason why the president should not be given the option of first refusal “because he is eminently qualified for another term.”

The South South leaders promised to build bridges of unity across the country and political parties to foster peace and ensure the continuation of Jonathan’s transformation agenda “but will take exception to any citizen of the zone working against the re-election bid of the president as Jonathan’s ambition should be seen as the project of the entire people of the zone.”

Cross River State Governor, Mr. Liyel Imoke said the zone could not afford to compromise and will do everything within its power to ensure that the president picks PDP’s ticket and win the election proper.

He called on all party stalwarts of the region to start working for the president’s re-election in 2015 “and should not give in to the temptation of anti-party activities when the chips are down.”

Senate leader, Chief Victor Ndoma-Egba in his remarks said they would do everything to protect the party and the president "our own son’’ to succeed especially as he is doing well.

President Jonathan was represented by his Chief of Staff, Chief Mike Oghiadome.
Also, the alleged sidelining of some key members of the PDM as an association is creating discontent among the ranks of allies of the group's founder, Gen. Shehu Musa Yar'Adua.

Barely one week after its registration as a political party, some members of the once formidable political platform have questioned the decision to register it as a party.

They argue that the PDM was conceived as a movement and not a political party and conveyed their grouse in a statement issued after a meeting held Thursday in Abuja, noting also that they remained members of PDM as a pressure group within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The eight zonal leaders of the PDM who signed the statement are Senator Abubakar Mahdi (chairman), Senator Ifeanyi Araraume (South-east leader), Alhaji Abdullahi Abdulkadir Mohammed (North-west leader), and Chief Ejiofor Onyia (South-south leader). Others include Kabiru Bawa (North-east), Dr. Bala Ahmed Tafida (North-central leader), Alhaji Shuaib Oyedokun, Alhaji Shuaibu Abdullahi  and Chief Oluponnle Ebo.

The statement reads: "An expanded meeting of the PDM (movement not party) was called on the 22nd of August, 2013 by the chairman, Senator Abubakar Mahdi, to brief members on the registration of the movement as a political party.

“In attendance were the secretary, Chief Dubem Onyia, director of finance, Shuaib Abdullahi and zonal leaders of the movement.
In their reaction, the zonal leaders observed with dismay the way and manner in which PDM was secretly converted into a political party against the original vision of its founding fathers.

“A situation where founding fathers, national caucus, zonal leaders and state management committees were not consulted is unacceptable.

The zonal leaders, therefore, resolved that they are also not part of the registered party as they remain members of PDM as a pressure group within PDP.

“They wish to further reassure PDM members across the country that the vision of the founding fathers should not and would not be compromised without consultation and their consent.”

But this is contrary to another statement signed by Alaba Yusuf, media aide to the PDM national chairman, Bashir Yusuf Ibrahim, which claimed that the decision to register the PDM as a political party was taken after a meeting held on February 15, this year.

According to Yusuf, the meeting was attended by the following members: Senator Abubakar Mahdi, Bode Ajewole, Bashir Yusuf Ibrahim,  former governorship candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) who later joined the PDP, Tonye Princewill, former minister of women Affairs, Titi Ajanaku and former minister of state for foreign affairs, Dubem Onyia.

The statement said that the task of obtaining registration for the PDM as a political party fell on Ibrahim, adding that the executive of the new party met on August 20 and accepted the registration of PDM by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The ironic twist to the dispute though is that both Senator Mahdi and Dubem Onyia who had signed  the statement denouncing PDM's transformation into a political party were also said to have been part of the February 15 meeting where that decision was made.

This has raised the suspicion that the current discontent is fuelled by the PDP. It is said that some members of the ruling party who also belong to PDM are uncomfortable with the fact that the interim national chairman of the new party, Alhaji Ibrahim, was the former secretary of the Mallam Adamu Ciroma-led Northern Elders Peoples Forum. He is, to that extent, perceived as likely to harbour sentiments inimical to President Goodluck Jonathan's interest in the event he decides to run for president in 2015.

But a founding member of the PDM who asked not to be identified has dismissed claims by the group's zonal officers on the grounds that they are not listed as officers of the PDM as party and, as such, cannot make pronouncements on its affairs. "That is the point they find irksome - the fact they were not listed as officers of the party," he said.  

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar who is one of the leaders of the PDM had already indicated that he has nothing to do with the registration of the party and that he remained a member of the PDP.

He had, however, acknowledged that the promoters of the new party are his associates but added he could not prevent them from exercising their political freedom.

Source: Thisday