Tension, anxiety greet PDP NEC meeting, as pressure mounts on Damagum to resign

…No Vacancy in national chairman’s office, says supporter

…Govs say all crises resolved as Ayu withdraws court case

…Don’t fall for Wike’s trick, Secondus cautions party

By Tunde Opalana

As stakeholders converge on the national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) today for the much expected National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), there is apprehension that the future of the party depends on the outcome of the make or mar meeting.

While splinter groups have held pockets of protests and issued statements calling for the removal of the acting National Chairman, Ambassador Ilya Damagum and his replacement, there have been nocturnal meetings and alignment of forces to save his job.

It is obvious that there is a sharp division among members on whether the acting chairman and a few members of the National Working Committee (NWC) should be relieved of their positions or be allowed to continue in office till the expiration of tenure of the present leadership.

Ambassador Damagum is being crucified for perceived ineptitude and weakness in decision making at times that matter most. Notably is the inability of the NWC under Damagum to wield the big stick of sanction against the former governor of Rivers State, Barrister Nyesom Wike and some others who were accused of anti – party activities.

The acting chairman at different times has been quoted saying the party will punish offenders of such allegations at the appropriate time but the time seems eternal while the accused continued denigrating the party publicly.

Ambassador Damagum and his executive team were also accused of undue interference in activities of the party at state levels and of taking sides in crises at the national and state levels.

The proponents of ‘Damagum must go’ are agitating for a replacement from the North Central, to complete the term of the suspended Iyorchia Ayu and different names have been flying as possible candidates to be ratified at today’s (Thursday’s) NEC meeting.

Among those are former governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam, Dr. Emmanuel Agbo and the 2023 governorship candidate of PDP in Nasarawa State, Hon. David Ombugadu, among others, though they have been denying lobbying for the position.

But in a save the PDP soul move, certain elements in the party including some state governors are lobbying critical stakeholders to prevail on the situation and allow Damagum to continue in office.

They reasoned that the PDP should not be allowed to go through another major crisis, now that it should be rebuilding broken links, post – 2023 general election.

It was gathered that the sole reason by the proponents of the ‘Damagum must stay’ campaign is the unity of the party. They are concerned that the party has gone through many challenges as the major opposition front than to be allowed to be disintegrated at a critical time when Nigerians need the PDP to put the All Progressives Congress (APC) government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on its toes.

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The Daily Times gathered the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, who is a critical personality in the whole development, has been sponsoring lobbyists to campaign for Damagum’s continuation in office.

Unconfirmed reports had it that the minister has further polarized the party echelon pulling support for Damagum ahead of today’s meeting.

Party members loyal to the Damagum cause are eager to support the party goes through Constitutional process to berth the tenure of the current NWC.

A member of the National Caucus, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the Daily Times before the meeting of the organ held last night in Abuja that going by provisions of the party’s constitution, “there is legally No Vacancy in the office of the National Chairman begging for replacement.”

He hinged his submission on the PDP constitution, while advancing reasons why it will be difficult to invoke Sec 47 (6) of the PDP Constitution (As Amended in 2017) regarding replacement appointment of a substantive National Chairman.

He said: “Damagum as Deputy National Chairman is currently acting pursuant to Section 35(1)(f) in respect of “power delegation” from the substantive National Chairman and also 31(3)(c) in respect of “absence” of the substantive National Chairman; and it is without prejudice to 47(6).

“The position of National Chairman remains in the North-Central until 9th of December, 2025 when the life of current Exco is to terminate in line with the Constitution.”

The Board of Trustees, which is the think – tank organ of the party has been inundated with the above reasons and have been persuaded to rally round Damagum.

However, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party has passed a Vote of Confidence on Damagum.

The decision of the NWC which came at the end of its 584th meeting at the party’s national secretariat on Tuesday, April 16, 2024 is in commendation of the efforts and commitment of the Acting National Chairman to stabilize and reposition the PDP as the main opposition party in Nigeria.

The Deputy National Chairman (South), Amb. Taofeek Arapaja, presided over the motion for Vote of Confidence on the Acting National Chairman which was moved by the National Vice Chairman (South East), Chief Ali Odefa and seconded by the National Treasurer, Hon. Yayari Mohammed.

The NWC assured of its commitment in ensuring the “continued stability, growth and success” of the party at all times.

The Acting (PDP) National Chairman, Amb.Damagum later led the members of the NWC to interact with the PDP National Ex-officio at the party secretariat.

This was immediately followed by a meeting with the state Party Chairmen from the 36 States, including FCT Abuja.

The PDP Governors Forum at a meeting on Wednesday evening said it is the NEC that can determine issues of tenure.

Bauchi State governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, who read the communique of the meeting, said the governors as a portion of the NEC cannot talk on behalf of NEC on change of leadership.

He said: “NEC will take decisions on such issues not the Governors. I know the Governors normally take leadership positions, but we have an acting person in leadership capacity leading the party and NEC will decide whether it is time to fill the vacancy looking at the legal implications of doing that, knowing that there are so many lingering litigations in court.

“And of course we don’t want to disparage ourselves, because we know that there are some marauders hiding somewhere trying to factionalize our party and take one faction to go and do coalition, we are not going to allow that as governors.

“We are very responsible and we are very credible and we make sure we resolve all the issues and unify the party for maximum efficiency and success in the next election.”

Mohammed further said the meeting “reviewed recent developments in the Peoples Democratic Party and urged the National Working Committee of the party to set in motion the machinery to conduct credible congresses in all the States where tenures of Party officers have expired.

“The meeting noted that there are no factions in the PDP and everybody is working together.

“We equally want to use this opportunity to reaffirm that in Rivers State, the Governors would work assiduously towards resolving all the issues in the State with a view to uniting all the Stakeholders.”

In another development, the former national chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus, cautioned the National Executive Committee (NEC) not to succumb to the tricks of the FCT minister, Nyesom Wike.

Secondus, in a statement yesterday, admonished the party not to fall for the antics of the former Rivers State governor who, he said, is attempting to use the PDP to maintain his relevance with President Bola Tinubu.

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In the statement issued by his media adviser, Ike Abonyi, the former party boss advised that the party must do everything humanly possible and within the law to rescue and restore the party’s glory.

“Wike’s busy-bodying gimmick should not distract them as the drowning Minister of FCT, is trying hard to create a non-existent crisis in the party to make himself relevant before his boss President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who is already getting fed up with his nuisance of bringing politics into the governance of the FCT.

“By deviously trying to create the impression that he is in a tussle of supremacy with the 2023 presidential candidate of the party and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Wike who is copiously losing political relevance everywhere from Rivers to Abuja is trying to give the impression that he is a factor in PDP and holding it for his APC interest.

“The critical structures of this party, NEC, BOT, National Caucus, forum of Governors, Chairmen of states and National Assembly caucus of the party must rise to the challenge and isolate mischief makers and meddlers like Wike and move the party forward,” he said

Speaking further on why the party should not give Wike “undeserved relevance which he no longer possesses,” the party chieftain said: “I expect the founding fathers and other dedicated members to rise to the challenge and return this great party to its glory by ensuring as they always do at critical moments that nobody or group is greater or bigger than this party.”