Bauchi governor meets embattled PDP chair, speaks on party’s crisis

The Chairperson of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors Forum, Bala Mohammed, has expressed confidence that the PDP will overcome its current crisis.

Mr Mohammed, who is also the governor of Bauchi State, made the remark on Friday while receiving the embattled Acting PDP National Chairperson, Umar Damagum.

The Punch newspaper reported that Mr Mohammed received Mr Damaguma at Bauchi State Government House alongside chairpersons of the PDP in the North-east.

‘We’ve a way of coming out of problems’

Speaking while receiving the embattled PDP Chairperson, Mr Mohammed admitted that the party has a lot of problems.

The governor, however, said as the leader of the party’s governors forum, he remained committed to working alongside other governors to resolve the problems.

“This is why I always said we may have problems, we may have political hiccups, but certainly, we have a way of coming back.

“The coming of the ambassador (Damagun) comes on a day we have a lot of problems at the party. The most important thing in today’s outing is that the North-east is one. We are together and we are unified,” he said.

Mr Mohammed assured Mr Damagum that he (Mohammed) would consult his fellow governors to determine the next line of action regarding the party’s crisis.

Why I visited Governor Mohammed – Damagum

Earlier, Mr Damagum explained that his visit was to discuss issues about the PDP.

“You can see the chairmen of the North-east PDP with me. They came here also to support me to reiterate their commitment that the North-east, where they come from, is one and also they believe in the leadership of the governors forum’s chairman,” he said.

“Today we came for a friendly visit to discuss many things.”

Mr Damagum equally warned Nigerians against voting for incompetent leaders in the 2027 general election.

The embattled PDP acting chairperson lamented that many Nigerians are suffering due to the policies of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

“There is a need for Nigerians to prioritise credibility when choosing leaders; those who collected spaghetti and wrappers to bring in the present government are feeling it more than anybody else,” he said.

Background

The PDP has been enmeshed in a serious leadership crisis with the emergence of two factions of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.

The factions have been issuing conflicting statements lately.

One of the factions on Friday suspended Mr Damagum and appointed Yayari Mohammed as the new acting national chairperson.

The faction also suspended the PDP National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, citing alleged anti-party activities and their role in the Rivers State political crisis.

Another faction of the PDP’s NWC loyal to Mr Damagum earlier suspended the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba and National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade.

Amidst the crisis, the PDP Board of Trustees recently called on the two factions to sheath their swords and revert to the status quo.

Meanwhile, Mr Damagum has held the acting chairmanship position since 2023, after the suspension of the former Chairperson of the party, Iyorchia Ayu.

In his position as acting chairperson, Mr Damagum faced several internal challenges.

His tenure has been characterised by accusations of anti-party activities, prompting calls for his removal from various members of the party.

In April, Mr Damagum, who is believed to be enjoying the support of some governors and the FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, narrowly survived an attempt to remove him during a heated PDP National Executive Committee meeting.

The move to oust him was reportedly driven by a faction of the party pushing for a national Chairperson from the region.