The Peoples Democratic Movement, PDM, has congratulated bigwigs of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for staging a walk out during the Saturday’s special national convention.
The newly-registered party, which has a number of associates of former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, declared that the idea to have a parallel faction of the PDP was a good one.
Atiku, seven state governors and some chieftains of the ruling party, had left the Eagle Square, venue of the convention, in protest of what they described as unfair treatment to those perceived as enemies of the presidency, as well as the Bamanga Tukur-led leadership.
In what seems like a military intervention in a democratic rule, the members at a press briefing announcing the ‘new PDP’, stressed that they have taken over the affairs of the party.
Throwing its weight behind the faction, National Chairman of the PDM, Bashir Yusuf Ibrahim, in a statement he issued on Saturday night, noted that the action was an act of bravery and statesmanship.
“The Peoples Democratic Movement today salutes the bravery and statesmanship of the dissenting delegates of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, for staying calm in the face of utmost provocation and outright oppression during the just concluded PDP National Convention, held at the Eagle Square, Abuja,” he said.
“We appreciate the bold, brave and patriotic stand of these delegates for refusing to participate in an election which they knew gave no even playing ground to all stakeholders.’’
Bashir added that PDM, which he described as a party of true democracy, equity and fairness, would continue to “stand shoulder to shoulder with all true democrats who wish to make Nigeria great again through positive political change”.
He disclosed that in a matter of weeks, the party would throw open its online and manual registration of prospective members within and outside the country.
Atiku in his address at the inauguration of the parallel faction, insisted that the PDP’s vision under the present leadership can’t be achieved.
He said: “Today is a very historic day in the life of our party. It is also a day of mixed feelings. It could also be a day of happiness. It could also be a sad day. Sad because the party we conceived in 1998 to be rallying point for all Nigerians, to be a source of unity, to be a party that will fulfil the aspirations of Nigerians, has today been dragged down by people who don’t even understand what party politics is all about.
“So, sometimes I have always been trying to draw attention of leaders of our party and the leaders of government that this democratic dispensation is supposed to make things better for the people of this country. Let us not deceive ourselves, the country is full of frustration, the country is full of anger, is full of disappointment.
“Therefore, we have a responsibility to see how we can reform our great party so that those lofty ideals, lofty goals can be achieved. They cannot be achieved by the present leadership of the party. It cannot be achieved even by the presidency. I have said it before and I am saying it again, that we are going in a wrong direction. Now we have seen the result.
“We are losing the party, we are losing the government and for this very courageous people seated here, this idea was mooted to see whether we still have men with courage and determination to get up and stand up.
He appealed to the rest of the party members, “who are still sitting on the fence to join this new PDP.”
The Turakin Adamawa assured that “we will restore the values of the founding fathers of this party.”
“Let me thank all of you for the courage and support to stand up because some people will be hiding somewhere. By the grace of God and with your support, with your loyalty, the change will be achieve”.
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