PDP, Dino Melaye bicker over crisis in party

The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 governorship election in Kogi State, Dino Melaye, has accused the leadership of the opposition party of destroying it.

Mr Melaye, specifically accused three national officers – acting National Chairman, Umar Damagun; National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, and National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, of destroying the party.

“End of the road for PDP as Damagun, Bature and Anyanwu irredeemably destroyed the party. We will talk about the commercialisation and privatisation of PDP. PDP is now once upon a time,” he said in a post on his X handle on Saturday.

Besides being the PDP flagbearer in last year’s election, Mr Melaye had served as the senator for the Kogi West Senatorial District on the ticket of the PDP.

He also represented the Kabba/Bunu/Ijumu federal constituency in the House of Representatives between 2007 and 2011 on the party’s platform.

The PDP was in power at the federal level from 1999 to 2015. During the 16 years, it produced three presidents, namely Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan.

In those years, it also controlled many state governments and the two chambers of the National Assembly.

Mr Jonathan lost power to APC’s Muhammadu Buhari in the 2015 election.

Since it lost power, the PDP’s attempts to return to power in the last two elections – 2019 and 2023 – failed.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar was its candidate in the elections.

Mr Melaye specifically played a prominent role in the party’s campaign having served as one of the spokespersons for the Atiku’s campaign team.

Lingering crisis

The main opposition party has been enmeshed in crisis since Atiku emerged as its presidential candidate for the 2023 poll.

Some of its governors led by the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and some prominent members refused to work for the party.

The crisis led to the exit of the then National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, who was suspended by his ward. Mr Ayu was also asked by the court to stop parading himself as the chairman.

Consequently, in line with the constitution of the PDP, Mr Damagun, the party’s deputy national chairman (North) stepped in to lead the party.

Some members of the PDP had accused the acting chairman as being sympathetic to Mr Wike, a former governor of Rivers State, now serving in the APC federal administration as a minister, hence he could not move against the minister.

Last week, a former Federal Commissioner for Information and Ijaw National Leader, Edwin Clark, accused Mr Damagun of conniving with Mr Wike and other detractors to ruin the party.

Earlier, the House of Representatives accused Messrs Damagum and Anyanwu of plotting to sabotage the party’s efforts by aiding defected former members of the Rivers State House of Assembly with legal backing to attempt to impeach the Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara.

But on Thursday, while inaugurating the reconciliation and disciplinary committees to resolve internal crises and address misconduct within the party, Mr Damagun acknowledged that many people within and outside the party are criticising his leadership but vowed that he will not quit his position.

He said he will work to keep it (party) safe and stable.

PDP not commercialised

PREMIUM TIMES could not reach the spokesperson for the PDP, Debo Ologunagba, to comment on Mr Melaye’s allegation as his mobile phone did not connect.

However, in an interview with the Punch newspaper on Saturday, Mr Ologunagba debunked the former minister’s claim that the party had been commercialised.

“The party is not commercialised. I don’t know what he means by that. The party is standing.

“Every party has its own challenges because they are managing people with different interests, backgrounds, considerations and aspirations, and it is the capacity of the party that makes it a successful party. Upon then, there will be challenges.

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“When you have systems and processes that allow for that (challenges), it shows that the party is not properly run. At each stage, there are other organs of the party, such as the Board of Trustees, the National Executive Committee, the Governors’ Forum, and the National Working Committee.

“If the PDP is once upon a time party, we won’t have 13 governors, House of Representatives members, and Senate members. So, I don’t know what he is referring to,” Mr Ologunagba said.