TheCable

Bashir Yusuf, national chairman of Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM), has described his sacking as a huge joke and a hatchet job by political contractors who are sponsored by a “notorious big man”, vowing to fight back.

In a statement he signed, Yusuf described the people who removed him on Thursday as chairman as either ignorant of the provisions of the PDM constitution or “they are in such a hurry to deliver on their contract to care about the fine points of the law.”

“We all know calculations for 2019 are in top gear and he who must be president by hook or crook is, once again, at his notorious best. PDM welcomes any Nigerian who wishes to contest election on its platform but we are not for sale,” he said.

“We have established a strong culture and reputation for compliance with the rule of law and will not allow desperate and serial presidential candidates to destroy our party by enticing hungry members of the national executive committee to precipitate crisis within our ranks.

“The national executive committee of PDM cannot be dissolved to pave the way for a hostile takeover of our party by this notorious big man. This same notorious big man, who specialises in destroying institutions, is also responsible for the intractable crisis which had befallen Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, lately, a party which gave him the platform to serve as a high-ranking official in its government from 1999 – 2007.

“As far as this notorious big man is concerned, his ambition to be president must be achieved at any cost and all casualties along the way are justified.

“I am not going to bother myself with the contractors. I’m going for the notorious big man, himself. I am ready to fight and defend the structures and integrity of Peoples Democratic Movement. I am fully equipped for this fight and he knows I am. He has picked on the wrong adversary. This will be a long and nasty fight. I am tired of giving in to impunity whereby politicians who made money in public office through shady deals think the law does not matter anymore or that every Nigerian is up for sale.”

He appealed to his party members to remain calm and continue the hard work of making the party the envy of all.

“I registered this party almost single-handedly. And I will not allow opportunist who are shopping for a platform to contest election to destroy it on the altar of ambition and greed. Everyone knows I do not give up on a good fight and this fight for the soul of PDM will not be any different,” he said.

PDM was registered in August, 2013. And its pioneer members were loyalists of Atiku Abubakar, former vice president.

In the build up to the 2015 election, the party was considered as an alternative platform for Abubakar, who was vying for the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential ticket.

The former vice-president is considered as a stakeholder in the PDM.