PDP CRISIS : Baraje Faction Get Support Of 57 PDP Rep Members

President Goodluck Jonathan is getting increasingly isolated as the breakaway faction of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) opposed to his control of the party are garnering more support.

Barely 24 hours after 20 PDP senators declared their support for the breakaway faction led by Abubakar Baraje, 57 members of the House of Representatives members have followed suit, the Punch newspapers is reporting.

“We, the members of the House of Representatives under the platform of the New PDP, hereby congratulate our leaders on the emergence of the new party,” reads a statement released by this group of representatives, on Tuesday.

A look at the signatories of statement shows that the representatives are mostly from the seven states which governors are in the heart of the breakaway faction.

The group said they have more members than the signature on the statement suggest.

 “Although a sizeable number of our members who could not append their signatures because of their unavailability in the country will do so immediately on arrival, we the undersigned salute and appreciate the courage, sacrifice and resilience and patriotism of our leaders namely: former Vice President Atiku Abubakar GCON, and the Governors of Kano State, Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso; Aliyu Wamakko, (Sokoto); Murtala Nyako (Adamawa); Sule Lamido (Jigawa); Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu (Niger); Abdul Fattah Ahmed (Kwara); and Chibuike Amaechi (Rivers), and other well-meaning and eminent Nigerians for leading the way for the emergence of the New PDP.”

The group also decried alleged attempts by the Federal Government to use apparatus of the state to witchhunt its members.

“We call on the security agencies and other anti-graft bodies to be professional in their activities and not allow themselves be used by anybody no matter how highly placed for their political ambitions. Remember how you want history to judge your tenures.

“We won’t hesitate however to use all instruments of law within our powers as provided by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), to stop this and bring anybody found wanting to book.”

The signatories of the statement are Abdullahi Balarabe; Abdulmumin Jibrin; Ali Ahmad; Abdullahi Wamako; and Abdullahi Muhammed Rico, Abdulmalik Cheche; Adamu Bashir; Ahmanpatigi Aliyu; Ahmed Zerewa; Aishatu Binani; Aiyedun Olayinka and Alhassan Ado Garba.