2027: Lawmaker accuses PDP Chair of rendering party incapable

By Tom Okpe

House member, Rep Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, has accused, Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Umar Damagum, of acting out a script to destroy the party and render it incapable of contesting the 2027 elections.

Ugochinyere, addressing a news conference in his office at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja on Thursday, said Governors, Lawmakers, and other leaders of the opposition Party, should rise up and speak out with a view to saving the Party from those he described as “agents of the APC.”

He also said Damagum has gone against the tenets of the agreement reached at the last National Executive Council meeting of the PDP, which allowed him to remain in office until August, when a new Chairman will be elected, by obtaining a court injunction against his removal.

He pointed that the PDP, under the leadership of Damagum, has gone to court to file a suit, opposing prayers, to declare seats of the 27 lawmakers from Rivers State, who defected to the APC vacant, on the ground that it is only the party that can determine who its members are.

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He said: “Though, the legal adviser of the party initially denied the suit, we can confirm to you that the processes were filed by Dr Joshua Musa, even as the party earlier filed a suit asking the court to declare the seats vacant.

“The PDP is now approbating and reprobating at the same time. So, what happens, when was this new alliance forged, when did the PDP start defending the defected lawmakers, what are the terms of that negotiation, are the terms, in the interest of the PDP or APC, the new party of the now-former members,” he queried.

Ugochinyere further stressed that; “Since the NEC meeting, which agreed for a peaceful exit for Damagum at the next National Executive Committee, NEC, meeting that will hold in a few months, which will see the emergence of a candidate from North Central, as PDP Chairman, many strange things have been happening.

“First, they want to secure an exparte order, that Damagum should remain in office using APC members who are parading as PDP members. In an action that looks like payback, Damagum led NWC has hired a pro-APC interest lawyer to file court papers, seeking to reinstate sacked APC lawmakers to enable them, attempt the impossible task of attempting to illegally, remove Governor Fubara from office.

“Damagum has dragged the PDP to court and obtained an order, restraining the PDP from removing him from office. This was after NEC of the party had fixed August for Damagum to, democratically leave office.”

The PDP Lawmaker therefore, called on the Party NEC, BoT, and other men of goodwill to take another look at the current leadership of the party, and agree with us that Damagum is a clear and present danger to the PDP and its survival.

“This is another early warning for the party and those who believe in it, to stand up, and save the party, before irreversible damage is done.”

He alleged that all court cases filed by the pro-Wike members of the party have often been assigned to specific judges who grant their prayers for a restraining order, within 24 hours, after such cases are filed and assigned to them.

He also, called on security agencies to move in immediately, get to the root of this chain of obtaining ex parte orders and judgments in a defined pattern against all known principles of fair hearing and justice.

“The Chief Justice of Nigeria needs to set the ball rolling with the NJC moving immediately, to find out what happened without waiting for a petition.

“This scandal is humongous, and the Council can move on its own. Its shocking that once the exemption is granted, nothing happens again in most of the cases,” he stated.

Ugochinyere also, called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to pay close attention to developments within the polity adding; “so Nigeria’s democracy, don’t slip, under his watch.”