PDP Reps Call For Damagun’s Resignation As Party’s National Chair
…Say, North Central Should Be Allowed To Take Over Chairmanship
A group of 60 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) federal lawmakers under the aegis of Opposition lawmakers coalition has called for the immediate resignation of Umar Iliya Damagun as acting National Chairman of the party for his alleged anti-party activities and allow North Central produce the Acting Chairman as clearly stated in the PDP Constitution.
They made the call at a press conference on Monday over the alleged various infractions being perpetrated by the Damagun led leadership in Rivers and 10 other states.
Addressing the Press Conference, Rep.Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere (PDP, Imo) who was flanked by other PDP lawmakers threatened that, the lawmakers will quit the Party if the doctored list of Local Government Caretaker Committees of the party in Rivers and 10 other states filled with members and loyalist of the All Progressive Congress (APC) is not nullified.
Ugochinyere insisted that, it was the turn of the North Central to produce the Chairman of the party and called on North Central leaders to meet and present a credible replacement for Senator Iyorchia Ayu.
The opposition lawmakers stated that Damagun will fail in his plot to sell PDP to the highest bidder as his abdication of the responsibilities of the office of chairman of the largest opposition in the country coupled with the tampering of the caretaker committee lists Rivers and other 10 states has exposed the plot and it will fail.
The lawmakers said, “Following the removal of Sen. Iyorchia Ayu as national chairman of our party and assumption of office by Umar Illiya Damagun, who was elected as Deputy National Chairman to act in his stead, the party has only known misfortune and abdicated its responsibility as the leading opposition party in the country. That role which Nigerians would have loved the PDP to play as an institution it truly is has been abdicated for a plate of porridge.
“A serious leadership would have set up structures to review what, why, and how the party failed to win the last presidential election and also failed to secure majority in both chambers of the National Assembly, rather the Umar Damagum led NWC is assiduously working to hand over the party to the ruling APC and their agents.
“A serious leadership would have looked into the acts of open anti-party activities, established why they happened and set up measures to ensure that it never happened again in the party. A serious party leadership would have since the end of elections or even the tribunal matters gone round to thank members and rally them for the challenge ahead of being the opposition and offering credible alternative to the people. We do not have any of these.
“But again imagine if we had such with the current state of the nation. Imagine the suffering of Nigerians because PDP as opposition does not have direction due to the activities of Damagum and co. This is very disheartening.
“Let us sound this note of warning to all in PDP and are part of the leadership of the Party at whatever level, that this PDP local government leadership will mark the end of the party if Damagum tampers with the original agreed list of Caretaker Committee members for Rivers State and the other 10 states.
“What Mr. Damagun is doing to PDP is worse than whatever Ali Modu Sherriff did or intended to do. Presently, in all the states where PDP is not the Governor, Damagum has already concluded arrangement to hand the party’s leadership to the APC. Not being satisfied, he now wants to hand over strategic states including Rivers State as well”.
