Obasanjo’s membership card had expired, says PDP

Two weeks after former President Olusegun Obasanjo tore his Peoples Democratic Party membership card, the party claimed on Tuesday that the card being held by the former President had expired.

It said that the card hitherto owned by Obasanjo was signed by the party’s former Acting National Chairman, Alhaji Kawu Baraje.

Baraje has since left the party and he is now a chieftain of the main opposition party, the All Progressives Congress.

While declaring his leaving the party, Obasanjo had asked the Chairman of the PDP in his ward at Abeokuta, Mr. Usman Oladunjoye, to tear his membership card.

Commenting on Obasanjo’s action, the National Secretary of the party, Dr. Wale Oladipo, said the card had been changed.

Oladipo spoke during a courtesy call on him by some students, who claimed to be working for the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan.

He said the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, and himself signed the current cards being used by the party members.

He said, “Baba (Obasanjo) is over 80 years and my mother is around Obasanjo’s age and when you reach that age, you do things that only you can explain.

“Secondly, you will see that Baba did not tear our card. He asked somebody ostensibly to do the tearing and I am assuring you that the card that was torn was not the current PDP card.

“The current PDP card is signed by Mu’azu and Oladipo. So, the card he tore was a Baraje card which we were going to destroy anyway. So, I think Baba started it.”

He added that Obasanjo might have left the party in order for it to have more followers.

Oladipo said, “Lastly, Baba is a very intelligent man. When Baba was helping us, he knows that a lot of people could have complained that they could have voted for the PDP but Baba is there.

“You know when a big tree thrives in a big forest, smaller trees cannot grow. If that big tree leaves, 10 to 20 smaller trees will grow.

“In politics, one big tree has a vote while 20 small trees have 20 votes. If you do the arithmetic, I am a scientist, I know that head or tail, it is a win-win situation for the PDP.”

The party also vowed to shock the APC in the South-West, where it said it would spring surprises.

The Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, Uche Secondus, stated this while speaking with journalists in Abuja on Tuesday.

He said with the support which he said was coming for the party, there was no way the party would not win the presidential election.

Secondus said this was where the confidence was coming from for the party and the President.

He said, “Look at our pedigree. A party that was formed less than one year ago can’t win elections with media vibes.

“Elections are won at polling units and we have the pedigree and statistics that have shown from 1999 till date that we have been consistent.”