Associates of former Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters, the late Maj.-Gen Shehu Musa Yar'Adua, have intensified efforts to revamp his political machinery ahead of the 2015 general election.

The Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM), the political machinery of the late Yar'Adua, a frontline politician of the aborted Third Republic, is one of the political groupings that formed the ruling Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) in 1998.

THISDAY learnt yesterday that despite the reluctance of the former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar to identify with the moves to revamp the late Yar'Adua's political group, other members, including former Chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT) of the PDP, Chief Tony Anenih, met in Abuja last Wednesday to discuss how to go about the exercise.

Atiku was reportedly absent from the meeting, which was attended by other top members of the group such as a former Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs. Titi Ajanaku; former governor of old Kaduna State, Alhaji Lawal Kaita, and Ambassador Yahaya Kwande.

Others at the meeting were a former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Chief Dubem Onyia; Mrs. Zainab Boni Haruna, wife of former Adamawa State Governor, Mr. Boni Haruna; and A.A. Matawellen Hadeija.

It was learnt that although the invitation to attend the meeting was extended to Atiku, who was said to be in town on that day, he chose to stay away.

It was gathered that Atiku is not happy over the role members of the PDM played in 2011 during the PDP presidential primary where the late Yar'Adua's political associates supported President Goodluck Jonathan against him.

The former chairman of the group, Alhaji Farouk Abdulazzi, led the PDM members to support Jonathan's presidential bid in 2011.

Since then, the group has been inactive.

However, ahead of the expected jostling for the 2015 general election, some PDM members had mooted the idea to revive the group to play an active role in the next elections.

At the Wednesday meeting, which took place at the Yar'Adua Centre, a protem national steering committee, headed by Chief Bode Ajewole, was constituted. Mr. Godie Ikechi was named secretary of the committee.

Other members of the committee include Senator Abubakar Mhadi, Yar'Adua's son, Muritala, Dr. Etim Amba, Bashiru Yusuf Ibrahim, Tonye Princewill and Olupunle Ebo.

A source said the meeting, which was also attended by some political heavyweights from the six geo-political zones of the country, discussed issues bordering on politics.

The source said the new PDM is being anchored on the vibrancy and resourcefulness of younger people within the group to enhance the movement's reinvigoration, complete re-engineering and to make the movement acceptable to Nigerians.

According to a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting and signed by Ikechi, goodwill messages and tributes to the late Yar'Adua were received from members across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) for his efforts in bringing democracy to Nigeria.

The communiqué, a copy of which was given to THISDAY, also said members were taken round the bridge at the Yar'Adua Centre, which is a symbol of the uncompleted mission in ensuring unity as well as in bringing democracy and good governance to Nigerians.

As part of plans to ensure the revival of the PDM, Ikechi said a national summit would be organised within the last quarter of the year on the theme: State of the Nation.