By Soni Daniel, Regional Editor, North

ABUJA—Second Republic lawmaker, Dr. Junaidu Mohammed, has dismissed the newly registered Peoples Democratic Movement, PDM, as a party made up of expired politicians, with no fresh ideas on how to move the nation forward.

Mohammed, who is the National Coordinator of the Coalition of Northern Politicians, Academics, Professionals and Businessmen, told Vanguard that PDM was an extension of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, which failed to transform Nigeria after more than 14 years in power.

According to Mohammed, there was no need for people to rejoice over the transformation of PDM into a full fledged party, since the characters promoting the new party had been part and parcel of the PDP.

While welcoming the registration of new parties by INEC as a means of broadening the political space in Nigeria, Mohammed however said it was not possible for the PDM to make any meaningful impact in the land because of those behind its formation.

He said, “The noise that has attended the registration of PDM is puzzling to me because the promoters of the party had been politically active in the PDP since 1998. If those behind PDM didn’t make impact with the exit of Atiku Abubakar to the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, and back to the PDP, is it now they want to perform magic?” Again, it is important to know if PDM will seek to make inroads into the APC. And if it does not, can it survive on its own and make the needed national impact?”

The former lawmaker noted that the birth of the PDM and other political parties does not in any way alter North’s quest to recapture the Presidency in 2015, adding that the desire was irreversible.

On the 2015 Presidency, Mohammed insisted that despite the emergence of PDM and other political parties, former Head of State, Muhammadu Buhari, remained a favourite choice and that it would be very difficult for any other candidate, including President Jonathan, to beat him in a free and fair election, if he decided to run.

He dismissed as untenable the claim that General Buhari would have been too old to contest the Presidency in 2015 and should concede the post to a younger politician, warning that many younger Nigerian leaders had nothing to offer the country.