Atiku Group Reacts To Alleged Jonathan Endorsement
The Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM), a political party formed by former vice president Atiku Abubakar, has reacted angrily to reports that it endorsed President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election.
The Nation reports that the national chairman of the party, Alhaji Bashir Yusuf Ibrahim, on Monday in a statement issued in Abuja warned against using the name of the party in endorsing President Jonathan ahead of the presidential poll slated for March 28.
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The chairman said the party has already endorsed the presidential candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Gen Muhammadu Buhari.
Ibrahim, dissociated the PDM from a group which addressed a press conference in Akure in the name of the party, and endorsed Jonathan. He said those who spoke had no mandate to speak for the party, as they were not card carrying members of the PDM following their defection in June 2014.
“Our attention has been drawn to a press conference, addressed by some aggrieved members of APC who defected to the party from PDM last year, at which they endorsed the candidature of President Goodluck Jonathan in the forthcoming presidential election. The press conference was held on Monday, March 16th, 2015 in Akure, capital of Ondo State. These APC members turned PDP agents are, reportedly, aggrieved that APC had not met their expectation during its last presidential primary and are unhappy with the position PDM has taken in support of the candidature of General Muhammadu Buhari. We wish to make it categorically clear that members of the group that addressed the press conference in question are not members of PDM. They defected from our Party in June last year to pursue their aspiration in APC and are no longer members of our Party,” the statement read.
According to the party chairman, since those who addressed the press conference are not card-carrying members of PDM, they do not speak for the party nor have any basis for doing so, noting that the party wishes them luck with their new project of supporting President Jonathan in the forthcoming election.
He warned them to stop using the name of PDM in this obviously sponsored and commercial misadventure, adding that they should find another platform to realise their aspirations because the PDM is not for the highest bidder.
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“The National Executive Committee of PDM had, at its meeting of January 22, 2015 unanimously, without any dissension, resolved to support the candidature of General Muhammadu Buhari and our Party will stand by that commitment until the end. Our members are already busy canvassing for support for Gen. Buhari across the country and will not be distracted from doing so. These political jobbers should please leave PDM out of their Jonathan-for-president misadventure,” the statement read.
Recall that there was report on Monday that the incumbent President Jonathan was endorsed by the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) as its candidate for the March 28 presidential poll.
Source: Legit.ng
