Few days ago, the Independent National Electoral Commission announced the registration of two new political parties, one of which is the Peoples Democratic Movement, A political group that has former vice-president Atiku Abubakar as its leader.
Although Atiku Abubakar acknowledged that the the political group was transformed to a political party by his associates, he maintained that he remains a member of the Peoples Democratic Party on the ground that he cannot stop his associates from going ahead with their decision of forming a political party.
Checks have however revealed that the registration of the PDM is a ploy between the President Goodluck Jonathan and Atiku Abubakar to weaken the newly registered All Progressives Congress, especially in the north which is seen to be a threat to the 2015 ambition of the president.
According to a report by 247ureports.com, competent sources within Abuja political circles indicate the former political foes in the persons of the former Vice President Alhaji Abubakar Atiku and President Goodluck Jonathan may have closed ranks and made up against the upcoming 2015 presidential elections.
This it said saw to the accelerated registration of the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM), which transformation from a political group to a political party. The registration was said to have been completed within 12 days the application was submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), a development that has begun to raise eyebrows among informed spectators of the ongoing political mechanizations, especially when compared to the length of time it took to process the registration application filed by the All Progressive Congress (APC).
While the new party may have been formed by friends to the former Vice President of Nigeria, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku, the processing may have received assistance from top players near and/or within the presidency. According to a source from Abuja who hails from Bayelsa, the transformation of the PDM to a political party was the idea of President Jonathan’s men, the report said.
The source according to report revealed that the President’s men and associates of Atiku in a bid to stop or slow down the progress of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the north began consultations into forging a working relationship. The idea of PDM transformation was then hatched during one of the meetings, where the Chairman of the Board of Trustee of the People Democratic Party [PDP], Chief Tony Anineh was said to have attended.
READ: Tony Anenih Linked with Newly Registered Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM)
READ: Atiku Abubakar Releases Statement on Report of Floating A New Political Party
Chief Tony Anineh was reported to have worked out financing for the new PDM to enable it set up political structure across the nation. As gathered, the financing was sought through a ‘white elephant’ contract awarded to one of Alhaji Abubakar Atiku’s many mushroom companies. In particular, a $2.6billion oil and gas related contract was hurriedly awarded to Intel Oil Services. The contract award came in early to middle of July 2013.
The PDM, as designed, is to present a northerner for Presidential candidate, most likely Alhaji Abubakar Atiku. The vice presidential candidate is said to be reserved for a south westerner. The north/south west president ticket adopted by the PDM mimics that of APC.
In talking to a top ranking member of the APC who hails from the north east on whether it is true that the PDP may have funded the registration of the PDM as a political party, he affirmed that the conspiratorial marriage between the PDP and PDM to be true. But he discounted the move as a failure because Atiku has lost his following in the north. His words, “Is true, but they forgot that Atiku no longer commands respect in the North. His followers were already in APC”. The Malam went on to add that “they must have struck a deal with him”.
But an aide to Alhaji Atiku discounts the allegation as a figment of the author’s imagination. In his words “Its figment of their imagination. It’s not true. The truth is that PDP has been hijacked by non-founders except few and they won’t even allow us know what they are doing. I don’t even why my boss is doing in that party. PDM is a transformation of a movement into a legal political entity”. The aide went on to promise that new developments are in the works, “just watch developments in the not distance future, just watch and look”.
Another member of the APC who hails from the south west and a member of the interim national executive spoke regarding the alleged assistance received from Jonathan’s PDP. Interestingly, he discounted the alleged marriage as a ‘nonstarter’. “Atiku was never part of us. In 2011, he voted PDP”, said the APC executive member who carried on to state that in their calculation during the formation of APC – that they never counted on Atiku or his radius of political influence. “If anything, the emergence of PDM will adversely impact the PDP, not the APC”, he explained while adding that the PDM will be breaking away from the PDP not from APC. “But if they join us, we will welcome the development as a plus”.
247ureports
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