by Dolapo Adelana
The crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seems to have deepened as the Ahmed Makarfi faction has reportedly approached the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the registration of a new party named Advanced Peoples Democratic Party.
The Nation reports that that INEC on Friday confirmed receipt of the application believed to have come from supporters of Senator Ahmed Makarfi, Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of the PDP.
The PDP has been embroiled in crisis for over a year, with the party split into two factions, one led by the recognised chairman, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff and another headed by Makarfi.
A former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode has called on members of the Makarfi faction to abandon the carcass of the party to Sheriff.
Speaking on the development via telephone, Deputy National Chairman to Sheriff, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, on Friday described moves to register the Advanced PDP as Advanced Free Fraud.
“The PDP is a lawful franchise and we won’t associate with fraud.”
He asked PDP members and the general public not to “have anything to do with the so called Advanced PDP.”
When contacted on the Advanced PDP application, INEC’s spokesman, Mr. Nick Dazang said, “The Commission has received not less than 70 applications from associations seeking registration and it is processing them.
“The association you mentioned must be one of them.”
There are reports that plans are ongoing to convince other members of the PDP to see the need to form a new party.
“Right from the beginning, Sheriff was a big mistake; he did eight years as governor on a party platform opposed to PDP and he has never been known for the kind of brotherly compromise that our people are expecting,” a PDP chieftain said on Friday in Abuja.
Attempts to get the reaction of the spokesman of the Ahmed Makarfi led Caretaker Committee, Prince Dayo Adeyeye proved abortive.
