Wike angry As More PDP Governors, BoT members, National Assembly Caucus, Stakeholders endorse Damagum’s Suspension   

Wike angry As More PDP Governors, BoT members, National Assembly Caucus, Stakeholders endorse Damagum’s Suspension 

 

 

More Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) governors, Board of Trustee members, the party’s National Assem­bly caucus and stakeholders are said to have endorsed the suspension of the embattled Acting National Chairman of the party, Amb. Umar Da­magum.

 

BREAKING: Damagum finally agrees to step down peacefully as PDP Governors take position 

 

In the past few weeks, the PDP has been enmeshed in a crisis threatening the foun­dation of the party.

 

The leadership crisis, however, took a different turn when the National Working Committee (NWC) vested with constitution­al power to lead the party turned against itself.

 

While a faction of the NWC led by the Acting Na­tional Chairman, Amb. Umar Damagum, suspended the National Publicity Secre­tary, Hon. Debo Ologunagba and the National Legal Ad­viser, Kamaldeen Adeyemi Ajibade, another faction sus­pended Damagum and the National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu.

 

Some political pundits have, however, linked the battle in the party to a pow­er tussle between the former governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, and the presi­dential candidate of the par­ty in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar, ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

 

Irked by the development in the party, the PDP gov­ernors on Monday held an emergency meeting to ad­dress the crisis threatening the largest opposition party in the country. They will con­tinue their meeting today.

 

Before the emergency meeting on Monday, it was gathered that majority of the PDP governors, members of the party’s BoT, party stake­holders and the National As­sembly caucus had thrown their weight behind the coming on board of Ahmed Yayari Mohammed as the Acting National Chairman to replace Damagum, pend­ing when North-Central zone will nominate a re­placement for Sen. Iyorchia Ayu to serve out the tenure of the zone.

 

It was also gathered that Damagum, who has been running from pillar to post begging several interests, has been given some condi­tions by the governors.

 

It was learnt that he was told to revise his decision suspending some NWC mem­bers and to hold the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on October 24.

 

The governors, who start­ed their zoom meeting at 5p.m on Monday to address issues in the party, were not able to conclude it.

 

It was gathered that the meeting would continue to­day.

However, even though Da­magum had gone to court to stop his removal, it was not­ed that the Ologunagba-led faction of the NWC had already removed him and pronounced Mohammed as Acting Chairman before he got the court injunction.

 

Stakeholders said to this end, the court injunction hold no water, noting that Da­magum remains suspended.

 

Recall that Damagum-led faction of the NWC while suspending Ologunagba and the legal adviser had immediately replaced them by their deputies.

 

According to findings, there is no provision for acting National Publicity Secretary and National Le­gal Adviser in the PDP con­stitution.

 

According to Section 47(6) of PDP constitution, “Where a vacancy occurs in any of the offices of the party, the Executive Committee at the appropriate level shall ap­point another person from the area or zone where the officer originated from to serve out the tenure of the officer.”

 

Since the suspension of Ologunagba, Ibrahim Ab­dullahi Manga, the Deputy National Publicity Secretary has been addressing the press and speaking on behalf of the Damagum-led faction.

 

Justifying his position as Acting Spokesman, Manga quoted Sections 40(2) and 42(2) of the party’s constitu­tion, which allow him to act following the “absence of our substantive officers.”

 

Calling on the Ologun­agba faction to exercise re­straint in the interest of the party, Manga said that the purpose of the press briefing was to further clarify the on­going imbroglio in the party in the past three days and to state unequivocally that “these acts of vituperation against our party’s corporate existence are not amusing but condemnable!

 

“This is therefore a clar­ion call to all concerned to see to it that the PDP is not destroyed due to avoidable conflicts. To buttress, Amer­ica’s former president, John F. Kennedy, said that, ‘Lead­ership and Learning are indispensable to each other.’ Consequently, to improve on our learning process of par­ty leadership and adminis­tration, we must ensure that certain actions are not guided by ‘sentiments and personal interest’ but in com­pliance with the provisions of the party’s constitution and other extant guidelines that interpret all its intent and purposes.

 

“For the avoidance of doubt, let me state at this juncture that the essence of this press briefing is not to delve into the reasons behind the suspension of the duo on whether it is right or wrong but to call for restraint in the interest of our great party, the PDP, which is the major opposition party in Nigeria and the hope of Nigerians for a better tomorrow in view of the APC strangulating, inept and clueless government na­tionwide.

 

“Let all concerned know that the Deputy National Publicity Secretary (my humble self) now Acting Na­tional Publicity Secretary and Deputy National Legal Adviser and now Acting National Legal Adviser as­sumed office following the decision of the NWC; and it is in line with the PDP con­stitution (2017 as amended) following the ‘absence’ of our substantive officers. It is made abundantly clear on Section 40(2) and 42(2). It is therefore distasteful for a leader(s) who ought to inform the uninformed but instead goes ahead to misin­form on a national television and other media channels that our assumption of of­fice in acting capacity is un­constitutional and does not exist. Why?

 

“Furthermore, we are constrained to express our utter disgust and disappoint­ment in our colleagues’ re­sort to ‘motor pack’ approach to a mere suspension aimed at providing them with the opportunity to clear them­selves of certain allegations against them.

 

“Although we have de­tailed knowledge of the drummers, the masquerades should have been guided in their dance steps to avert stripping themselves naked on the stage.

 

“In the face of this reck­less violation of a subsisting court order, we are hereby left with no option but to de­ploy the services of security agencies in the enforcement of the rule of law.”

 

Manga, however, com­mended the BoT on the role it has played so far in the cri­sis, adding, “I want to very respectfully commend the in­tervention of the Chairman of the BoT, Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum and other well-meaning leaders of the party on the need to seek amicable solution soon­est.”

 

He charged all party mem­bers’ to remain focused and keep supporting the PDP leadership under the Acting National Chairman, H.E. Amb Umar Iliya Damagum, “until we achieve a lasting solution to our issues.”