PDP Certificate of Registration Missing, Obasanjo, Atiku, Lamido Fingered

There is confusion in the Presidency over
the whereabouts of the registration
certificate of the Peoples Democratic Party.
The Independent National Electoral
Commission issues certificates of
registration to all registered political
parties.
But the Presidency, in the battle to secure
its hold on the PDP, has sought, without
success, for the certificate of registration of
the party.
Sources in the Presidency told The Eagle
Online that attempts to trace the certificate
has been futile.
But sources said the Presidency has
narrowed the search for the certificate to
three political gladiators within the party.
They are former President Olusegun
Obasanjo, former Vice President Atiku
Abubakar and the Jigawa State Governor,
Alhaji Sule Lamido.
However, the source said it is very unlikely
that the certificate will be with Obasanjo as
he was still in Yola Prison in Adamawa
State when the party was registered.
It was gathered that the belief in the
Presidency was that the faction of the PDP
that broke away on Saturday owing to
complaints about the handling of its Special
National Convention, must be banking on
possessing the certificate to win the battle
for the ownership of the party.
A source said that the decision of President
Goodluck Jonathan to pacify the breakaway
faction was because of the belief that with
the certificate of registration in its
possession, winning a court battle would be
easy.
Abubakar and Lamido are part of the
breakaway faction under the chairmanship
of Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje.
Jonathan was said to have been humbled by
the fact that without the certificate of
registration in his kitty, he was fighting a
lost battle against the breakaway faction
that has headed to court to stop the
recognition of the leadership of the party
under Alhaji Bamanga Tukur.
Abubakar, Lamido and some other
governors had on Saturday formed the
parallel PDP following their outcry of
injustice during the Special National
Convention.
They said over 50 candidates not favorably
disposed to the leadership of Jonathan and
Tukur were disqualified at the convention.
Some of the other governors who are with
the new PDP include Babangida Aliyu of
Niger State, Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto State,
Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, Murtala
Nyako of Adamawa State and Abdulfatah
Ahmed of Kwara State.
The Presidency is said to have come to the
conclusion that the certificate is with either
Abubakar or Lamido.
However, majority of the members of the
think-tank in the Presidency believe the
certificate must be with Abubakar.
This was because he paid for the
registration of the party and its national
headquarters, Wadata Plaza, in Abuja.
He was reported to have spent about N98
million for the certificate and the
acquisition of the national headquarters.
A source in the Presidency said: “The
President and his team know that they are
fighting a lost battle if they do not have the
certificate of registration with them.
“It is very obvious that the ambition of the
President to seek re-election in 2015 is dead
once the party is handed over to the other
faction by the court.
“The next thing the president can do is to
abandon his ambition and return to his
village.
“Or how do you rationalize the President
joining another party to realize his
ambition.”
One of the sources said that Jonathan is also
scared by the possibility of the breakaway
faction of the PDP teaming up with other
parties to form an alliance against the PDP
for the 2015 election, even if the court
declares the Tukur-led leadership as the
authentic PDP.
The fear is that the breakaway PDP could
team up with the Peoples Democratic
Movement, in which Abubakar is believed to
have a lot of influence.
And the alliance could also be extended to
the All Progressives Congress.
A source said: “It is scary thinking of what
an alliance of the breakaway PDP with the
PDM and the APC would produce.
“It is very unlikely that the PDP would be
able to muster enough support to defeat
such an alliance.
“That is why it is almost certain that the
President would find an amicable resolution
of the crisis, even if it involves his having
to step down his own reelection ambition
and look like a hero in all of the crisis.”
As at press time on Tuesday, Jonathan was
still meeting with a caucus loyal to him in
the PDP to consider the various options
available to him.
Though he has not declared his interest in
seeking re-election, the body languages of
both Jonathan and his lieutenants point to
the fact that he is interested in retaining his
seat in 2015.