Atiku Will Tear PDP Apart, Warns Party’s Chieftain

•  It is ludicrous, says former VP
• Dokpesi: BoT trying to hijack party

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

A member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Adamawa State, Umar Ardo, has accused the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of hijacking the state executive of the Adamawa State chapter through the recently organised state congress.

He warned against the action, saying that the party will fare better in the 2019 elections without having the former Vice President, returning to its folds .

Ardo’s postulations came just as one of the chairmanship aspirants of the PDP, Chief Raymond Dokpesi has accused the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) of attempting to corner the post to one of their own.

Ardo who was a former Special Assistant to Atiku on Research and Strategy, alleged in a press conference in Abuja yesterday that the conduct of state congress in Adamawa State was deliberately skewed to favour supporters of the former Vice President.

He said that from all indications what the party stands to lose in the cause of bringing Atiku back far outweighs the expected gain.

For instance, the PDP chieftain said that apart from the ensuing struggle for the presidential ticket of the party, it is an open secret that Obasanjo will move against Atiku if he declares presidential ambition.
He accused Atiku of being directly involved in the manipulation of the state congress to ensure that his men who only moved over to the PDP recently got elected.

I have just told you here that he told me to do this; so he is directly involved.
However, Atiku has described Ardo’s assertions as false and unfounded.

While reacting to the allegations that Atiku hijacked the PDP executive in Adamawa, the Media Adviser to the former Vice President, Mr. Paul Ibe, wondered how someone who is not a party member can take over its structure”
“It is ludicrous to accuse a man who is not a member of a party of having hijacked the party structure. Whoever is making this allegation has to look elsewhere for their failings, said Ibe

On Atiku’s speculated return to the PDP, Ardo said :”People say that there are three advantages of Atiku coming back to PDP. First, PDP stands to be seen as bringing in men of timber and caliber because Atiku has a name; and so it will give the impression that PDP is attracting a man of worth.

“Secondly, he is usually described as a man of deep pocket. So he will be able to foot the bills of the party, which the party being out of government will need a lot of money, as they say money is to politics what breast milk is to a baby. To that extent, Atiku’s return is an advantage.

“Thirdly, he has people across the country. And these people will all be in the party as the mobilisers and these will all be an advantage. But against these three advantages, there are also three disadvantages.
“We learnt that Atiku is coming back to the party with an ambition; an ambition to contest for the presidency. Now that will be a source of conflict because there are others, even in the party who are also interested and they are nursing this ambition. There will be conflict among party members.

“Secondly, the deep pocket that Atiku has will just serve that ambition. But it will deepen the conflict. The third disadvantage is that those foot soldiers will also serve for the ambition and in the process deepen the conflict.
“There is this other disadvantage. My father said when you are traveling don’t take a friend or enemy, because where ever you go you will make new ones. Along with the friends that Atiku will be coming with to the party is also those that will bring up enemies. For instance, it is an open secret and everybody knows it that Obasanjo will fight him.

Ardo who submitted a petition against the outcome of the Adamawa State congress to the party national leadership yesterday accused the members of the state caretaker committee of flouting the party’s constitution and directive of the national caretaker committee.
He alleged that state caretaker committee simply shared the positions of the state executive committee among themselves.

He gave examples to include Chairman and delegates in Yola South, Girei, Numam Madagali, Jada Local Government Areas.

“We call on the Appeal Panel members to mind these acts and institute Justice, fair-play and constitutionalism in the process and cancel the entire exercise if PDP is to survive in the state as a viable political party,” he said.
Meanwhile, the founder of DAÀR Communications Plc and chairmanship aspirant of the PDP, Raymond Dokpesi, yesterday accused some members of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) of trying to hijack the party ahead of the national convention.
He accused some members of the BoT of being behind the attempt to scheme out some aspirants from the South west under the guise of building a consensus.

Dokpesi, who stated this while returning his nomination form at the party’s national secretariat, also condemned what he described as attempts to intimidate the Senator Ahmed Makarfi’s Caretaker Committee into endorsing micro zoning arrangement outside the resolution and constitution of the PDP.
Dokpesi, said “Members of BoT want to take over the party. Some people want to use BoT to take over the day- to- day running of the party.

“Members of BoT have been going out with some aspirants. They have been meeting delegates and stakeholders of the party.
“Some of them (BoT members) smart as they are, are peddling rumours that the BoT has endorsed some aspirants as their choice of national chairman. But we know that the BoT has not met,” he said.

On the preparation of PDP for 2019, “We are in a haste to take over from the APC. It won’t be an easy thing to take back power from the current government.

“APC will not hand over power on a platter of gold. We need a fighter a strong party man. That is why we need a strong man to serve as chairman of the party.”

On his plans for the party if he emerged chairman, he said “I will unify PDP and ensure all broken bridges are rebuilt, recruit more youths and women and prepare PDP to take over in 2019.”

Also, a former Minister of Sports and Special Duties, Professor Taoheed Adedoja, yesterday picked his Expression of interest and nomination forms to vie for the national chairmanship of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the December convention.

Briefing journalists shortly after obtaining the forms, Adedoja pledged to return the PDP to the path of victory if elected chairman of the party.

He promised among others to provide a group insurance for staff of the party while also pledging his readiness to introduce sporting activities to engage the youths drawn from all six geo-political zones of the country.