Speaking during a ceremony held on Thursday evening, he insisted that JP was the only party he had wanted to sign for. "This is a very happy night in my life. I'm really happy to be here. I'm a person who will never back down," Ilham said. Continuing in that regard, Ilham said the need of the hour for the Maldivian people was a "formula" to save them from their current plight. That formula is JP, he added. He further urged the people not to take their respective votes in the upcoming presidential elections lightly. In that regard, he highlighted the importance of electing a leader who was from the islands, referring to JP leader and presidential candidate Gasim Ibrahim. Describing Gasim as tried and tested, Ilham underscored the significance of forming a coalition to win the election this year. It will be easier to form a coalition with Gasim, he added. "One cannot rule without a coalition. That is the reality," Ilham said. Ilham also announced that more parliament members will join JP in the next 10 days. Ilham’s resignation as PPM’s Vice President came after the party’s ethics committee had decided to take action against Umar Naseer who had contested in the party’s presidential primary. Umar is accused of violating the party’s basic regulation over his allegations against his rival and eventual winner of the primary Abdulla Yamin. Ilham had been actively engaged in Umar’s campaign and had not been present in PPM rallies since the primary.