PDM crisis deepens as South East, South-South members dump party

The faction protests leadership style of party’s national chairman.

Some members of the defunct Congress for Progressives Change, CPC in the South East and South-South geo-political zones who defected to the Peoples Democratic Mandate, PDM, have announced their intention to dump the party.

In a statement by their leaders on Saturday, the former CPC members said they were leaving the PDM in protest against the PDM’s National Chairman, Bashir Yusuf, who they accused of incompetence.

Those who signed the Communique which was sent to PREMIUM TIMES are Dennis Aghanya, Williams Berezi, Chris Oko, Etim Uduak, Chuba Ikeagwu, Patrick Ating, Ozigbo Ifeanyi and Peter Elema.

Some aggrieved members of PDM who joined the party from the defunct CPC, had last month threatened to quit the party because Mr. Yusuf had allegedly ensured that they were schemed out of every activities of the party.

In a statement signed by Mr. Aghanya, the founding national publicity secretary of the defunct CPC, they alleged that they were not considered fit to serve in any committee of the PDM and were never informed on meetings while all programs of the party were all handled with utmost secrecy and shielded from them.

But in response, the PDM national leadership warned members of the defunct CPC not to create a separate identity not known to its (PDM) constitution, stating that it did not admit any member of group into its fold in the name of any other political identity.

The party spokesperson, Ahmed Abubakar asked those identifying themselves as CPC members to do a rethink, warning that no one is allowed to cling to a fictional and imaginary identity to pursue any selfish agenda.

But rising from their meeting last Tuesday in Awka, Anambra State, the defunct CPC members in the South-South and South East zones said they took the decision to leave the PDM because Mr. Yusuf lacked the capacity to lead the party or any other one to victory with his leadership style.

“Our decision to dump the PDM was not a grouse against the party but against Mallam Bashir Yusuf’s political incompetence and his inability to lead the PDM or any other political party to success with his current style,” they said.

“We have unequivocally and in compliance with the directive of our leader, Sen Hanga, wish to announce that henceforth we have seized to be members of the PDM as a political party. We therefore await further directives on our new political platform.”

They said they would communicate their decision to their leader, Rufai Hanga, (the founding National Chairman of CPC), who led them to the PDM last year, to inform the PDM leadership of the development.

The politicians noted that weeks before the Awka meeting, members in the two geopolitical zones had returned their PDM party registration cards through their ward and local government areas and subsequently state leaders of the party. They were protesting the purported announcement made in various radio stations in Kano for more than two weeks of the suspension of some of their colleagues.

They listed their other grouses against the PDM national chairman to include: The subsequent withdrawal of membership of our group from the PDM in the North-West; complaints of the unwillingness of the national leadership to develop and move the party forward; the systematic and deliberate marginalization of our members in the affairs of the party on the directives of the national chairman who suddenly became apprehensive over his ambition to retain the national chairmanship seat at the forthcoming national convention of the party; and the neglect and non-appreciation of our willingness and sincere efforts and dedication to build the party to greatness.

Mr. Abubakar could not be reached for comments on Saturday as calls to his mobile telephone were not responded to.