Lifestyle, Politics

PDP Governors and 24 State Chairmen Allegedly Plotting to Retain Damagum – House Members Claim

Published by Tope Fakinlede on November 25th, 2024.

PDP Governors and 24 State Chairmen Allegedly Plotting to Retain Damagum – House Members Claim

A group of opposition lawmakers has accused some governors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and 24 state chairpersons of scheming to extend the tenure of Umar Damagum, the party’s acting National Chairman, until 2027. The lawmakers argue that this move is aimed at weakening the party and preventing its revitalization.

The accusations were made during a press briefing on Sunday evening in Akokwa, Imo State, where the lawmakers criticized the recent postponement of the PDP’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, which was set to address Damagum’s position within the party.

Following a meeting in Jos, Plateau State, on Saturday, the PDP Governors’ Forum, in collaboration with the party’s National Working Committee, decided to push the NEC meeting to the first week of February 2025.

Ikenga Ugochinyere, a member of the House of Representatives from Ideato North/Ideato South Federal Constituency in Imo State, expressed concern over the direction the PDP was taking. He remarked, “In these challenging times, what our country desperately needs is a robust and accountable opposition. Unfortunately, the PDP, which should be at the forefront, has been overtaken by opportunists, reducing it to a mere tool for the ruling party.”

Ugochinyere accused Damagum and the PDP’s National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, of betraying the party’s founding principles, asserting that the PDP, once credited with ending 16 years of military rule, now struggles with internal divisions and a lack of direction.

“They’ve engineered a delay in the NEC meeting to prevent the selection of a new chairman from the North Central region, where the position is due. The goal is to keep Damagum in office until 2027, allowing them to impose a weak presidential candidate on the party,” Ugochinyere alleged.

The lawmaker also suggested that Damagum and Anyanwu were aligning themselves with Nyesom Wike, the Federal Capital Territory Minister, accusing him of undermining the party’s interests.

“It’s alarming that our National Chairman and Secretary are frequently seen collaborating with Wike, who serves in an APC-led government,” Ugochinyere said. “While the country grapples with serious issues, the leadership of our opposition party is working closely with the ruling party. This is nothing short of a betrayal of PDP supporters.”

Further criticizing Wike, Ugochinyere suggested that after losing the presidential primaries to Atiku Abubakar, Wike had been actively destabilizing the party, urging him to formally join the APC if he no longer supported the PDP.

“If you want to be part of the APC, then do so openly,” he said. “But stop sabotaging the party from within. Wike, along with other former governors like Okezie Ikpeazu, Samuel Ortom, and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, are working to dismantle the party’s legacy.”

Ugochinyere also issued a warning to President Bola Tinubu, advising caution when dealing with Wike. “When things turn sour between you two, Wike will reveal your secrets. His track record shows that his loyalty is only to himself.”

The lawmaker concluded by praising PDP governors who remain loyal to the party and called for an end to the internal strife and betrayal that he believes are undermining its future.