…Party fixes Aug/Sept for leadership change
After weeks of tension and political horse-trading, the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) extended the leadership of the acting National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum till September.
It would be recalled that Damagum replaced Dr Iyorchia Ayu in March last year after the former National Chairman was suspended by his ward in Gboko, Benue State, and later sacked by the court.
There had been calls for him to revert to his former position as Deputy National Chairman (North), and for someone from the North Central where Ayu comes from, to serve out his tenure.
But the 353 members who met at the 98 NEC meeting, subtly passed a vote of confidence in Damagum's-led National Working Committee (NWC).
The National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba who read the communiqué at the end of the meeting said, “NEC commended the efforts of the National Working Committee in its effort towards rebranding the party including the new look PDP logo which is widely accepted by party members and Nigerians in general.
“NEC charges all party members to continue to work together for the success of the PDP for the benefit of Nigerians and sustenance of Democracy in our country.”
New Telegraph gathered that leadership change was not among the 11-item agenda listed for discussion at the meeting, which was perhaps, the most attended in recent time.
In attendance were eight out of 13 PDP governors; two former vice presidents – Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Arc Namadi Sambo; Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nysom Wike; Chairman and Secretary of the Board of Trustees (BoT), Senators Adolphus Wabara and Ahmed Makarfi, respectively, among others.
Security in and around the PDP national secretariat was tight, as all roads leading to the party's national headquarters were blocked, and traffic was diverted to other roads.
Commissioner of Police, FCT, Bennett Igwe, personally supervised the deployment and inspected the hall used for the meeting.
Expectations were high that the party would effect a change in its national chairmanship, especially as Ayu on April 15, withdrew the appeal he filed against the party in court.
North Central stakeholders at a meeting on Wednesday, demanded that the PDP should respect its constitution and allow someone from the zone to serve out Ayu's tenure.
But Ologunagba stated that the emphasis was on the need for reconciliation and stability within the party, disclosing that “the issue of the National Chairman, Damagum, has been deferred to the next NEC meeting, which is tentatively scheduled for August 15, 2024.”
Chairman of the PDP Governors' Forum Governor Bala Mohammed, who spoke to journalists after the meeting, explained that there would a lot of activities in the party in the next two months
“Leadership is a responsibility, we said in September when we have come out of our congresses, we will look at our leadership and at the issue of our constitution where it will be. And we will do it with no rancour,” he said.
Mohammed who is Bauchi State governor, said people had expected that the party would implode, but said PDP has gone beyond that.
“This party is a united party that is guided by experience and constitutionality.
“There were a lot of permutations and mischievous thinking outside there. But we looked at all the issues and we work along our guidelines and constitution. There is no problem or dissension and problem among members,” he added.
Damagum on his party, said his leadership of the party “is not a matter of life and death,” adding, “I am still an elected member of this NWC even if I revert to deputy national chairman, I'm still a member of NWC. The issue of surviving or not does not emerge.”
PDP in the communiqué, expressed concern over the ill-implemented policies of the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration, which it said, are “leading to worsening insecurity, harrowing economic hardship, soaring unemployment rate, high cost of food and other necessities of life with pervading misery and despondency across the country.”
The party also expressed worry over the spate of terrorism and violence in the country and blamed it on the insensitivity, nonchalance and incompetence of the APC administration.
It called on President Bola Tinubu to urgently convene a special National Security Council meeting to proffer a holistic solution and measures to curb the disturbing insecurity with its attendant negative consequences on our national life.
“NEC also demands that President Tinubu should immediately rejig his Economic Team to bring in persons of proven integrity and competence without bias and vested interest to assist in repositioning the economy.
“NEC further demands that the Federal Government should review all policies and programmes which are stifling the economy with suffocating effect on the lives of citizens; including the increase in price of fuel without cushioning measures, hike in electricity tariff, increased taxation and implementation of adverse fiscal policies,” PDP added.
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