Ahead of the April 18 National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), 60 PDP federal lawmakers have threatened to dump the party.
The lawmakers said they would defect from the opposition party if the party leadership fails to nullify what they called a doctored list of caretaker committees in Rivers and 10 other states. They claimed the list was filled with members and loyalists of the All Progressive Congress (APC).
The group named, Opposition Lawmakers Coalition, also asked the acting national chairman of PDP, Ambassador Umar Damagun, to relinquish the position so that a party member from the North Central geo-political zone will serve as acting chairman, pending the conduct of national convention as required by the party’s constitution.
Opposition lawmakers made the demands at a press conference in Abuja yesterday. Their spokesperson, Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, who represents Ideato Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, said the aggrieved lawmakers cannot be in a party where its activities are determined by another party.
Attempts to get the party’s reaction proved abortive as calls and a text message sent to the national publicity secretary, Hon Debo Ologunagba, was not responded to as of the time of filing this report.
The buildup to the much anticipated NEC meeting has seen increased political fireworks with PDP.
While the recent release of a list of caretaker committee members in 10 states have sparked outrage by some party leaders, agitations for Damagum to vacate the chairmanship seat and allow a North Central member to serve as national chairman as originally designed by the party has heightened.
Damagum, who hails from Yobe State in the North East, was made acting national chairman in 2023. He assumed the position after Senator Iyorchia Ayu, who hails from Benue State in North Central was removed by a court order last year.
What’s more, the PDP NEC meeting, which is shaping up to define PDP’s trajectory ahead of 2027, is set to revive the tussle between camps loyal to the 2023 presidential candidate and former vice president Atiku Abubakar and that of the group of five former governors led by minister of federal capital territory and former Rivers Governor, Nyesom Wike.
Both camps have been in a tussle for the soul of the party since the 2023 election.
However, addressing newsmen yesterday, Ugochinyere accused Damagum of working for APC. He alleged that the list of caretaker committee members in Rivers state was doctored in favour of former Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike and the members of the Rivers House of Assembly who have defected from PDP to APC with card carrying members of APC emerging as would be officers of the PDP.
He also accused Damagun of approving the plot to impeach the Rivers State Governor, Similayan Fubara, saying that Damagun “is fully aware of the entire details of the plots to impeach the Rivers State governor and he gave his approval to the plot, yet he refers himself as a chairman of a party”.
Ugochinyere insisted that in the PDP constitution which provides for a zoning arrangement, said it was the turn of the North Central to produce the party chairman and called on the North Central leader to meet and present a credible replacement for Sen. Iyorchia Ayu.
Reading the resolution of the opposition lawmakers, Ugochinyere said, “We call for the immediate resignation of Umar Iliya Damagun as Ag National Chairman of PDP for anti-party activities and allow North central produce the acting chairman as clearly stated in the PDP constitution or watch us reconsider our membership of the party in the months ahead if the right thing is not done.
“The NEC of the Party should ensure that the list of party Caretaker Committees in Rivers State and all other 10 states tampered by Damagun and his APC friends are reversed and announced as originally agreed, that is by extension of the tenures of the outgoing leadership.
“NEC of PDP should review the sources of generating finance for the party to pay its National secretariat staff and to discharge all other responsibilities of the party and to investigate the allegation that pro apc supporters are funding the present pdp of today.
“A credible party leader from the North Central be confirmed Chairman of the party in line with the zoning formula as enshrined in the Constitution.
“Where these demands are not met, we, the Opposition lawmakers coalition from PDP in the National Assembly, will be left with no other options but suspend participating in the party activities and seek a new political relationship where decisions in that party will not be taken in the secretariats of another political party,” he said.
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