The Crisis rocking the People’s Democratic Party, PDP has again taken a new turn, as the party’s lawmakers in the National Assembly, have uncovered plot to shift the election at today’s NEC meeting to August, to allow the acting chairman, Umar Damagun retain his position and elect All Progressive Congress, APC members at executives of state chapters.
The spokesperson of the group, Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere speaking to journalists early Thursday morning notes that with the withdrawal of the suspended Chairman Iyorchia Ayu’s pending litigations, all pediments to emergence of new PDP chairman at today’s NEC meeting have been removed.
According to him, Former Chairman Ayu’s case was used as an excuse for Damagun to attempt to elongate his illegal stay but to their shock Ayu made huge sacrifice by withdrawal of his case thereby paving way for emergence of North Central person.
He however said that, they received intelligence report of the pre and post caucus meeting with an alleged plan to give Damagun soft landing up to August 2024, and by so doing elect APC members as PDP State Executive in the over 19 states.
He also alleged of the plan to use Damagun who is allegedly working with G5 governors to elect APC come 2027 to now fill up those expiring excos like the failed attempt in Rivers with APC members whose names have been supplied by serving APC minister.
According to Ugochinyere, this means that by the time a north Central person comes all state Congress have been held for fresh 4 year tenure for over 19 states with APC officials planted into the heart of the party thereby burying the party and suffocating it and killing any survival attempt.
Noting that this purported plan is against Article 47 (6) of PDP constitution, the lawmakers warn that if it happens unimaginable crisis will hit the party and they will declare Damagun persona non grata on April 18.
The G60 lawmakers frowned and condemned the idea of allowing a serving APC minister, Nyesom Wike, into the highly confidential national caucus meeting, knowing fully well the minister is a campaign manager for the APC 2027 Presidential election.
This they said is political abomination and clear evidence that the Damagun leadership has officially merged PDP with APC and desperate to hang on to the power to execute the demise of the party.
The lawmakers said, “We say No to the last minute plan to shift today’s expected Umar Damagun step down as acting chairman of PDP to August before North central can take the chairmanship of the party which is a last minute plan by the APC loyalist backing him to give them room to use the few months extension to use Damagun to inflict irreversible damage to PDP by filling the over 19 states with expiring state Executive with pro apc members as officials. The extension is a plan to elect APC members at executives of state chapters, thereby planting those who will massively decamp to APC to create the impression of crisis in the party. The nec must arise and state it clearly and give our party the leadership it deserves.
“Former Chairman Ayu case was used as an excuse for Damagun to attempt to elongate his illegal stay but to their shock Ayu made huge sacrifice by withdrawal of his case thereby paving way for emergence of North Central person today but the APC agents controlling damagun after their secret meeting came up with a new agenda which is been sold to party members to allow damagun handover by August . To many, this will be seen as a victory in the struggle, but to many, it is a fraudulent illegal arrangement targeting the upcoming Congress in over 19 states where PDP Executive will be expiring before the August handover .
“Article 47 (6) of PDP constitution states that once a vacancy occurs in any office of the party especially National Chairman Office, the NEC shall appoint another person from the area or zone where the officer originated to serve out the tenure of the officer. Article 47(1) says that the tenure of office of the chairmanship zoned to north central is 4 years, so any continued hold of the office continues to exclude the north central from completing its 4 year zoned tenure as backed up by 47(6) which says another person from north central must be appointed to continue that tenure. So Damagun’s continued stay in office is unknown to the party’s constitution.
“Article 35(3)(d) The powers of the deputy chairman to act is limited by this section as he supposed to be in office to give effect to article 47(6) which requires him to act and call for nec to appoint an acting Chairman. The PDP will enter into unimaginable crisis if these happens and will declare damagun persona non grata from if this illegality happens and we will not recognise such an usurper as acting chairman and we will be proceeding to the federal high court with 24hrs to launch legal action to stop these madness once and for all.
“Such abomination should not be allowed at the NEC meeting, and NEC members should have the balls to walk out any serving apc official in the party to avoid continued sabotage and compromise. Let be NEC members be men for once. We call on NEC MEMBERS especially governors to be bold for once and stand up to show our loyal members in the rural areas strength that we are ready to get up and be firm and set the road map for Revival. No sitting on the fence Those Governors and NEC members sitting on the fence over fear or lack of courage should stand up and defend the party our founding fathers handed over to us to avoid the inevitable destruction awaiting us like anpp if we don’t act.
“We call Restate our position that damagun must step down and revert to his deputy chairmanship position and North central person should be elected at Chairman, Disciplinary action committee must be set up to discipline members and loyalist of the apc that have made attempt to hijack and kill the party, the reform and rebranding of the party must start immediately , the caretaker list tampered must all be excluded from affirmation today especially Cross River , Kano, Rivers etc which was filled with apc members . So based on the above we state once more NO to the move shift damagun resignation to August to avoid giving few months chance that will be used to plant seed of destruction and endless litigation once the step down date is shifted. Damagun must revert back to his deputy chairmanship position and allow NEC appoint north central person as acting chairman. God save PDP the party from the desperate hands of pdp/apc members.”