PDP NWC members plot Damagum’s removal

The internal crisis within the opposition Peoples Democratic Party has taken a new dimension as members of the National Working Committee and their deputies move to oust the acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum.

A high-ranking member of the PDP NWC, who wished to remain anonymous due to lack of authorisation to speak on the issue, exclusively revealed to The PUNCH that certain members of the integrity group within the NWC were making efforts to remove Damagum and realign the party, as demonstrated in Bauchi State.

The source stated, “It’s well-known that some NWC members remain dedicated to the PDP rather than to any individual leader. The integrity group, led by the National Legal Adviser Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN), National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, National Financial Secretary, Daniel Woyegikuro, and two others, recently travelled to Bauchi to advance their agenda of replacing Damagum.”

Since taking on the role of acting National Chairman, party leaders have increasingly blamed Damagum for the ongoing crisis in the PDP and have called for his resignation.

This tension became more evident when Damagum and other NWC members loyal to Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, not only secured approval for the contentious Rivers State PDP congresses but also postponed the National Executive Committee meeting from September 26 to October 24.

The political conflict between Wike and current Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara intensified on August 24, following public support for Fubara by PDP governors.

The governors demanded a review of the Rivers State congresses and affirmed Fubara’s leadership within the PDP.

Wike reacted angrily to this support, threatening on August 31 to disrupt activities in the governors’ states if they continued to interfere in Rivers State affairs.

In response, the PDP Governors’ Forum, under the leadership of Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, condemned Wike’s threat as irresponsible on September 3.

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory asserted that he would not retract his threat to take action in PDP states.

While hosting five NWC members in Bauchi, the Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum dismissed Wike’s threat and confirmed that the North Central region would nominate Damagum’s successor.

A reliable source present at the Bauchi meeting reported that the NWC members convened with the Bauchi State Governor, who serves as the Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, to update him on their discussions and propose solutions.

He stated, “The situation within our party is concerning. There are efforts to undermine it. A few of us who share similar views met with the Bauchi State Governor to address these issues. We explained to him how Damagum is managing the party in a way that favours Wike and a select few, violating the party’s Constitution.

“Many of us oppose this direction and are prepared to support the governors in taking necessary actions to realign the party. We believe Damagum should be replaced by someone from the North Central while he returns to his role as Vice Chairman.

“The Bauchi State Governor, who initially backed Damagum’s appointment to the NWC, expressed regret for his support and apologised to those who came to see him about the damage caused by Damagum’s leadership. Senator Bala Mohammed has also committed to rallying other governors to facilitate Damagum’s replacement and restore the party’s integrity as soon as possible.

“Moving forward, we will engage with more governors and party leaders to ensure the right actions are taken. Enough is enough; if Damagum and his supporters refuse to cooperate, we will be forced to take a stand publicly in the coming days.”

Another reliable source, a member of the NWC who wishes to remain anonymous due to lack of authorisation to discuss the issue, claimed that there were efforts to remove Damagum for allegedly jeopardising the party’s stability.

The source stated: “We have repeatedly reached out to Damagum, Bature, and the National Secretary, but they have refused to engage. They shouldn’t be able to undermine us all because of Wike. Traditionally, the governor of a state is the party leader and deserves proper respect. However, they have given control to Wike in Rivers. Why is that?

“Damagum needs to address these concerns if he isn’t the problem. By continuing to accept land and favours from Wike, they risk undermining the party. I don’t want that. What we need is for Damagum to return to his original position, and for North Central to provide a replacement. This will ensure fairness and adherence to the party’s constitution. The constitution does not recognise an acting National Chairman, so why is Damagum holding onto that role?

“When Bamanga left, they brought in Muazu to complete his term. Why should this situation be different now? Just because Wike believes he has more power than everyone else? Many of us in the NWC are exhausted and can’t continue like this. We’re seeking support from our leaders to take necessary action.”

In a related development, some deputies to NWC members met in Abuja and agreed to support efforts to restructure the PDP, including the replacement of Damagum.

A source, who attended the meeting and requested anonymity because he was not authorized to share the group’s decisions, confirmed to The PUNCH that efforts were underway to replace Damagum.

He stated, “Yes, we met and decided to back any initiative aimed at repositioning our party, the PDP. Various party organs are proposing ways to accomplish this, including replacing Damagum, and we are prepared to support any legitimate actions to make it happen.”

In an exclusive interview with The PUNCH, PDP Deputy National Legal Adviser Okechukwu Osuoha, stated that they met to assess the state of the party.

Osuoha said, “We met as a group and agreed to work together for the stability and growth of the PDP.”

When asked about the move to oust Damagum, he responded, “It is about the process and the organ that will make such a decision. If the NEC takes any decision, I cannot oppose it; I must support it. It is unfortunate that some people act unilaterally. The party should be run by its organs, not individuals. We have the BoT, NASS caucus, Governors Forum, NWC, and NEC. The NEC is the most supreme, and any decision they make must be binding on everyone.”

When reached for a response, PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, stated that the party leadership would address all issues in the coming days.

Ologunagba mentioned that the PDP leadership aimed to concentrate on the upcoming Edo State governorship election and noted that they only paid a courtesy visit to Bauchi State.

 “There is no splinter group in the NWC. The NWC undertook an official courtesy visit to the Bauchi State Governor to discuss party matters, which is normal. Some of us went to Borno, while others went to Bauchi.

“I assure you that we will address some of the issues affecting our party. These matters are significant, and you have the right to know about them. The PDP remains a beacon of hope and democracy in this country. We cannot afford a one-party system in Nigeria, and we will discuss these important issues,” Ologunagba said.

Meanwhile, The PUNCH has learned that the PDP Board of Trustees, led by former Senate President, Adolphus Nwabara, has urged Wike to lay down his arms and allow peace.

It is worth noting that Nwabara, along with other BoT members, held a closed-door meeting with Wike in Abuja on Tuesday.

Another NEC member, who is also on the Board of Trustees and requested anonymity due to a lack of authorisation, revealed to The PUNCH that the elders appealed to Wike to seek peace.

The source, who wished to remain unnamed, said, “The BoT listened to Wike and urged him to stop all media attacks and give peace a chance. It was a reconciliation effort. However, the BoT is also aware of the underlying issues and is using all available organs to address them.”

When asked about the problem, he stated, “Most members of the Board of Trustees are opposed to Damagum. He is not managing the party effectively, and many of us want him removed.

“We believe that if Damagum returns to his original position and a substantive National Chairman is appointed, the PDP will regain its voice, influence, and power. While many may choose to stay silent, we are actively working to support efforts to reposition the party. So, the best way to get result is to organs of the party, he added.

Additionally, The PUNCH learned that the Nwabara-led Board of Trustees visited Bauchi State on Wednesday to meet with the Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum and discuss the state of the party.

Our correspondent’s attempts to reach Damagum for comments on these issues were unsuccessful, as he did not answer calls or respond to messages by the time of publication.

Meanwhile, during the groundbreaking ceremony for the upgrade of Ladoke Akintola Airport in Ibadan, Oyo State, Governor Seyi Makinde on Wednesday expressed his support for Damagum, stating that the time was not right for changes.

Makinde, an ally of Wike, assured Damagum of their ongoing support to help reposition the PDP.

He stated, “I am glad that the National Working Committee of our party is here.I read that there was another meeting in Bauchi. Let me say it clearly that we are 100 per cent in support of the Damagum-led NWC.  Whatever decision you take, we will support you to reposition the party.

“Let me also say this, I don’t think this is the right time. Even if we have issues within ourselves we have an important election on Saturday. So we should all rally round and deliver our candidate.”