The Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) has
resolved to support the candidature of General
Muhammad Buhari, the presidential candidate of
the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Buhari in Aba
Photo Credit:
Sahara Reporters Media
The party took the unanimous decision at a
meeting of its National Executive Committee in
Abuja on Thursday, and it called on all of its
members and supporters to vote for him at the
February 14 election.
In a statement signed by the party’s National
Chairman, Bashir Yusuf Ibrahim, and its National
Secretary, Ifeanyi Igwe, the PDM stated that of
the available presidential candidates, two clearly
stand out but represent a clear contrast and
reference point for making a clear and informed
choice.
“On the five critical issues which NEC believes
constitute the nation's top and urgent priority at
this material time, namely, National Unity, Public
Security, Job Creation, Fight Against Corruption
and the Economy, it is the opinion of NEC that
the incumbent who has been at the helm of
affairs of the nation in the past six years had
failed,” the statement said. “In contrast, his
opponent had a track record of achievement in
these areas as a former Head of State and, later,
Executive Chairman of Petroleum (Special) Trust
Fund. NEC believes it is time for Nigerians to give
him a chance.”
The party noted the rising level of corruption,
unemployment and impunity in the country and
condemned the campaign of calumny and hate by
prominent citizens who are desperate to win
election at any cost, including plunging the nation
into chaos and anarchy. It called on Nigerians to
reject desperate politicians who have been given
a chance to prove their worth but failed. It
underlined that Nigeria's democracy has come to
stay and would not be undermined by the
desperation of those who are afraid to lose
election in February 2015.
Text of the PDM Communique:
COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF THE
MEETING OF THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE
COMMITTEE OF PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC
MOVEMENT HELD AT THE NATIONAL
SECRETARIAT, MAITAMA, ABUJA ON THURSDAY,
JANUARY 22, 2015
The National Executive Committee of Peoples
Democratic Movement met at the National
Headquarters of the Party in Abuja on Thursday,
January 22, 2015. At the meeting were members
of the National Working Committee, State
Chairmen of the Party from across the federation
and invited Party Elders. Later, NEC met with
candidates of the Party for various elective posts
from across the country.
2. NEC reviewed the Party's preparations for the
February 2015 General Elections and expressed
satisfaction with the state of readiness of the
Party to participate in the elections. It also
endorsed the plans and strategies presented by
the National Working Committee for winning the
Governorship, Senatorial, House of
Representatives and State Assembly elections
across the country. It called on Nigerians to vote
en masse for PDM candidates at all levels in
order to bring genuine change to Nigeria in 2015
and improve the quality of life of Nigerians in the
years ahead.
3. NEC further reviewed the distribution of
Permanent Voters Cards by INEC and noted that
large numbers of registered voters are yet to be
issued with their cards. It also received reports
that eligible voters in some polling units have not
been registered at all. It called on INEC to
redouble its efforts to ensure no eligible voter is
disenfranchised. It commended the resolve of the
Commission to give Internally Displace Persons in
Adamawa, Borno and Yobe the opportunity to
cast their votes in February 2015.
4. NEC condemned the call by the Governor of
Adamawa State, Barr. Bala Ngilari, for the
postponement of the forthcoming elections in
Adamawa State. NEC wondered why it is the
Governor of Adamawa, not Borno State, who is
making such a call. NEC believes the people of
Adamawa State deserve to vote for leaders of
their choice alongside other Nigerians and will not
be denied this right just because the state
governor is not a candidate.
5. NEC also reviewed the State of the Nation and
expressed concern with the deteriorating state of
insecurity in the country, especially in the North
East where insurgents appear to have a free reign
killing and displacing innocent citizens and taking
over the nation's sovereign territory. It
commiserated with the victims of insurgency in
the affected states and called on the Federal
Government to discharge its responsibilities to
Nigerians by guaranteeing the safety of their lives
and property and retrieving the nations' lost
territory within the shortest possible time.
6. NEC noted the rising level of corruption,
unemployment and impunity in the country and
condemned the campaign of calumny and hate by
prominent citizens who are desperate to win
election at any cost, including plunging the nation
into chaos and anarchy. It called on Nigerians to
reject desperate politicians who have been given
a chance to prove their worth but failed. It noted
that Nigeria's democracy had come to stay and
would not be undermined by the desperation of
those who are afraid to lose election in February
2015.
7. NEC noted that the Party has no candidate in
the presidential election of February 14, 2015. It
considered and accepted the need to support a
candidate in order to save Nigeria from imminent
collapse and give it a new lease of life. It also
noted that the Party had registered close to six
million members both manually and online and
resolved to deploy this voting strength for good
and in the best interest of Nigeria at this very
critical time.
8. NEC observed that of the available presidential
candidates, two clearly stand out and the two
represent a clear contrast and reference point for
making a clear and informed choice. On the five
critical issues which NEC believes constitute the
nation's top and urgent priority at this material
time, namely, National Unity, Public Security, Job
Creation, Fight Against Corruption and the
Economy, it is the opinion of NEC that the
incumbent who has been at the helm of affairs of
the nation in the past six years had failed. In
contrast, his opponent had a track record of
achievement in these areas as a former Head of
State and, later, Executive Chairman of Petroleum
(Special) Trust Fund. NEC believes it is time for
Nigerians to give him a chance.
9. In view of the foregoing, NEC unanimously
resolved to support the candidature of General
Muhammadu Buhari for President of Nigeria and
called on all members and supporters of PDM
across Nigeria to vote for him in the presidential
election of February 14, 2015.

http://saharareporters.com/2015/01/24/pdm-endorses-buhari-condemns-desperate-politicians-who-have-failed

Question marks

In fairness, some of us have known this all along. Under Buhari’s watch as Petroleum Minister in the late 1970s, $2.8 billion (worth billions of naira today) was missing from the NNPC account. The matter was subject to Senate investigation under the chairmanship of Olusola Saraki in 1983. But before the report could be dealt with, Buhari conveniently overthrew the Shagari government in a military coup d’état.

Vera Ifudu, an NTA newscaster, revealed that Saraki told her in an interview that the missing money was traced to Buhari’s account at Midland Bank in London. For this disclosure, Vera was summarily sacked by the NTA. However, she appealed against her dismissal in court and won. She even received a handsome financial compensation for wrongful dismissal from the NTA. Instead of clearing his name as a man of integrity, Buhari refused to appear before the Oputa Panel set up to look into the matter (among under things) by the Obasanjo administration.



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