The embattled acting national chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ambassador Illiya Damagum, may have survived calls for his eviction from office as the National Caucus of the party has threw its weight behind him ahead of the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting hoding this Thursday.
This comes as the PDP caucus resolved that he should be allowed to continue in office for the meantime.
Damagum enjoys the backing of minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, who made a surprise showing at the PDP caucus meeting, which lasted into the early house of Thursday.
However the caucus, according to the PDP national publicity secretary, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, who read the outcome of the meeting, allowed Damagum to continue acting in office till the next NEC meeting after Thursday’s meeting.
He also said this Thursday’s NEC meeting would have nothing to do with leadership change until the next national convention of the party.
Ologunagba said the decision of the caucus was aimed at ensuring reconciliation and unity in the party.
He added that the caucus directed that the party management to set up a discipline and reconciliation committee to reconcile all members.
“NEC meeting will not discuss any change in leaders. Rather, attention is focused on unity and reconciliation.
“Caucus agreed that all congresses in the states and local government should be concluded between June and August this year.
“Caucus agreed on the extension of the constitution review committee of the party to accept new recommendations,” Ologunagba stated.
Recall that PDP governors had in an earlier meeting declared that only the NEC could decide the fate of Damagum.
North-Central PDP stakeholders and some opposition lawmakers had called for Damagum’s resignation to pave way for a chairman from the North-Central region. They had also accused the acting national chairman of not working in the interest of the party.