New PDP emerges in Adamawa, defies police effort to stop its inauguration

A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) named Reformed PDP (R-PDP) in Adamawa State, has inaugurated its officials.

The R-PDP took the step Thursday in Yola amid attempt to stop it by operatives of the Nigeria Police who blocked the members from their initial venue, the Lalewal Hotel in central Jimeta, forcing the members to convene at the house of its leader, Dr Umar Ardo, in high brow Karewa, Jimeta.

The R-PDP has been at loggerheads with the mainstream PDP in the state since the conveners first publicly announced its formation last year, and only about two weeks ago, February 4, a meeting they were holding was disrupted by thugs who injured three people and damaged six cars.

The members had gathered at Lalewal Hotel Thursday morning and were about to hold their briefing/inauguration of officials when police operatives swooped on the hotel heavily armed and in armoured tanks, prompting the party men to disperse.

Dr Ardo who has been the face of the R-PDP since the faction broke from the main PDP late last year, led the inauguration at the alternative venue, his house, after addressing the press on reasons for the breakaway faction.

He had said at the pre-inauguration press briefing, “We call this World Press Conference to express our dissatisfaction with the unconstitutional way PDP affairs are being conducted in the state and maltreatment of members who object to such unconstitutional acts.

It is against this backdrop that some well-meaning members have decided to take this current action.”

He highlighted the alleged unconstitutional acts of the mainstream PDP in the state, including dissolution of elected Executive committee of the party and “imposition” of the current one led by Barr Tahir Shehu.

Umar Ardo said, “In reconstituting the party’s state exco leading to the emergence of the so-called AT Shehu State Exco, all known democratic rules and parry guidelines were flouted.

For instance, against the guidelines of the party, eleven members of the Adamawa State Caretaker Committee (as applicable during the era of Ahmed Makarfi as national the caretaker chairman), including AT Shehu himself, simply transmuted into the state Executive committee,reby denying interested party members from contesting.”

He added that he and some other party members petitioned the national secretariat of the party to reverse the trend but “our petitions were scornfully ignored.”

He added that other lawful efforts to have the illegalities addressed were similarly discarded by both the Maekarfi-led National Caretaker Committee and the present Uche Secondus National Executive Committee.

Ardo concluded that the state exco of the party remained an illegality and that both the party and the state government formed by it had been taking illegal steps which some party members like himself could not reconcile themselves with, hence the decision to break off into the R-PDP.

He thereafter announced the constitution of a 12-member interim Executive of the R-PDP for the state, 7-member exco for each local government area of the state, and a 5-member exco for each ward.

“These interim committees will be headed by Alhaji Hammajoda Jauro Gire, a veteran party politician of repute,” Ardo declared.

Hammajoda Gire and other personalities in the different excos were thereafter sworn in to lead the R-PDP in the state.
Contacted on why police invaded Lalewal Hotel where the R-PDP was to hold their Thursday event, the Police Public Relations Officer for the state, DSP Suleiman Nguroje, said the police could not provide cover for a party (R-PDP) not known to law, as it is not a registered group.