By HENRY EBIRERI

While Alhaji Atiku Abubakar disclosed recently that he and the governor of Adamawa State, Mr Boni Haruna had been de-registered from the party, the National Chairman, Dr Ahmadu Ali retorted that the Vice President had in fact been registered and issued with a membership card in his office.

But legal sources insisted at the weekend that going by the PDP constitution which provides for registration at the ward level, the Vice President’s registration as claimed by Ali was invalid. Article 9 sub article ‘A’ which deals with the question of eligibility says a membership register is to be kept and maintained by the ward branch and that a prospective member shall register at his ward of origin or where he ordinarily resides and pay the registration fees and other dues. Explained the sources: “These taken together, along with article 10 “B” which says that a member shall belong to a branch clearly show that the duty of the registration of a party member is that of the ward executive.”

It is held that when the Vice President went to his ward to register, he merely wrote his name in an exercise book and returned to Abuja without obtaining a card.

“When the VP declined to accept the card sent to him by Senator Jubril Aminu through his Personal Assistant, complaining that it was disrespectful of his person and office, Aminu returned the card and never reverted to the Vice President,” the sources recalled. On the alleged registration of the Vice President by the National Chairman, the sources maintained that it was improperly done.

“The card itself allows for signature by the ward chairman and ward secretary. If the Vice President’s membership card was truly signed by the National Auditor on one hand and his Deputy Chief of staff on the other as shown in television and widely reported in the print media subsequently, then that card is without validity and to that extent, Atiku cannot be said to have been validly registered as a member of the party,” said the sources.