Adamawa: New PDP Emerges Despite Police’s Plan To Disrupt Meeting

The Peoples Democratic Party in Adamawa State has experienced set back as a faction of the party named Reformed PDP in the state inaugurated its officials.

Despite the effort of the Nigeria Police to stop the meeting in Yola on Thursday, the members decided to convene at the house of its leader, Dr Umar Ardo, in high brow Karewa, Jimeta.

Members of the factional party had gathered at Lalewal Hotel on Thursday to hold the inauguration of their officials when police operatives stormed the venue, prompting the party men to disperse.

Ardo led the inauguration of the R-PDP at his house after the police had dispersed them from the initial venue.

Dr Ardo who is the face of the faction while speaking with newsmen after the inauguration said.“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 accused the PDP in the state of dissolving the elected Executive committee of the party and imposing 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 caretaker chairman), including AT Shehu himself, simply transmuted into the state Executive committee, thereby 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 further stated that plea placed before the Maekarfi-led National Caretaker Committee and the present Uche Secondus National Executive Committee were displaced.

He 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.

The police noted that the meeting was disrupted because they could not provide cover for a party as it is not a registered party.