Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has reacted to the news of a political Association, Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) which has filed an application to INEC to be made a political party.
He said while he remains a loyal PDP member, he doesn’t have the right or power to stop others from associating or seeking registration for new parties.
The former Vice President, answering a series of questions on social media platform, Twitter, by James Schneider, the Editor-in-Chief of Think Africa Press, said that he would always welcome the expansion of the political space to accommodate all shades of opinions or political hue.
While acknowledging that many of his political associates are involved in registering the PDM, Atiku explained that he had no powers to stop “adults with common interests from coming together to form a party.”
He also noted that many of his political associates are equally members of political parties other than the PDP.
According to him, “freedom of association as enshrined in the constitution is the beauty of democracy and that he wouldn’t dissuade any of his followers from seeking a platform to promote their programmes.”
PDM played an active in the country’s democratic transition from the Babangida, Abacha and Abdulsalami administrations.
The PDM platform, which was founded by late General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, provided the impetus for his impressive performance across the country during the September 1992 presidential primaries, which were later cancelled by the military regime.
In 1999, the PDM was at the forefront in the emergence of former President Obasanjo as PDP presidential candidate.
The choice of Atiku Abubakar as his running mate is believed to be in recognition of the active role of the PDM platform in his victory.
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