After a week of intense politicking, embattled acting national chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ambassador Illiya Damagum, survived moves to evict him from office.
The much-anticipated 98th PDP National Executive Committee (NEC), which was held yesterday, commended the party’s leadership and handed Damagum a four- month lifeline to oversee the conduct of the party congresses in states where there are executive vacancies.
The conduct of the congresses is to end by August. Damagum lifeline by the NEC ends, albeit temporarily, a series of high stakes meetings and agitations for his removal over alleged anti-party acts.
However, indications that the embattled chairman would survive the eviction scare at the NEC emerged at the national caucus meeting which ended late on Wednesday.
The PDP national caucus, a strategic organ of the party comprising serving and former leaders of the party, had agreed to allow Damagum continue in office until the next NEC meeting.
The national publicity secretary, Debo Ologunagba, had said after the caucus meeting that it was agreed that the issue of leadership change will not come up in the NEC agenda.
Meanwhile, Damagum, after the NEC meeting yesterday, said attempts to remove him from office is not a do or die affair. He added that the notion of his surviving being removed from office does not arise because he would have reverted to his national deputy chairman position.
Opposition plans to give Damagum a life-line
The opposition lawmakers had earlier yesterday alleged that the move to retain Damagum was to enable the inclusion of All Progressives Congress (APC) members in the PDP state executives.
The group, in a statement by Hon Ikenga Ugochinyere, opposing Damagum’s continued stay in office, alleged that those behind the plot intended to amass a larger crowd when defecting to the APC.
Also, PDP North Central stakeholders had intensified their clamour for an acting chairman to emerge from their region.
They had agitated for Damagum, who hails from Yobe State (North East), to vacate as acting chairman of PDP to pave the way for a national chairman from the North Central zone as originally planned by the party.
However, while the leadership change was not listed on the agenda of the NEC, a source at the meeting said the matter was brought up under the other order of business.
“But it was advised that it should not be deliberated on because the caucus had dealt with it and agreed that it should be pushed to the next NEC meeting.”
The closed session of the NEC, which had 353 members, lasted less than two hours. The gathering had former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike in attendance. Also in attendance were members of the G-5 group, including former governors of Benue, Abia, Enugu. Oyo State governor Seyi Makinde was also present.
However, while other party leaders, including Damagum, BoT chairman, Adolphus Wabara, representatives of PDP governors and lawmakers made opening remarks at the event, Atiku didn’t speak. Attempts to get his reaction were abortive as his media team didn’t respond to inquiries.
The event was heavily policed as streets were cordoned off around the Wuse Zone 5 Wadata Street of the party’s national secretariat. The commissioner of Police was also seen at the party secretariat.
However, when asked about the agitation for Damagum’s removal at the NEC, the PDP spokesman, Ologunagba, said, “Our party emphasises the need for reconciliation and stability within the party at this time. Therefore, the issue of the national chairman, Damagum, has been deferred to the next NEC meeting, which is tentatively scheduled for August 15, 2024.”
Damagum, when asked about how he survived the leadership change agitation said, “This is not a matter of life and death. 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 arise.”
Speaking also, chairman of the PDP governors’ forum and Bauchi State governor, Bala Mohammed, said, “You can see there was no dissension and rancour. It was planned that the party will have an implosion. PDP is more than that; we have grown beyond all these idiosyncrasies. 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 worked along our guidelines and constitution. There is no problem or dissension among members.”
On the agitation for a chairman from North Central, Mohammed said, “In the next two months we will see a lot of activities. Leadership is a responsibility. We said in September we would have come out of our congresses. We will look at the issue of leadership and look at the issue of our constitution where it will be. And we will do it with no rancour.”
In an earlier remark, the Bauchi governor had declared confidence in the Damagum-led NWC and other organs of the party.
However, reading the communique issued at the end of the NEC meeting, Ologunagba said, “NEC commends all the organs of the party for their collective resilience, steadfastness and commitment towards the unity, stability and sustenance of our great party despite daunting challenges.
“NEC also commends members of the PDP, with particular reference to the youths and women, for their courage in resisting the antics of the divisive and anti-people All Progressives Congress (APC), especially, its desperation to emasculate the opposition and foist a one-party State on our nation.
The party’s NEC also expressed concern at policies of the APC administration which have led 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.
“NEC, after due consideration demands that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should 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 review all policies and programmes which are stifling the economy with a 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,” he said.
It urged all organs, leaders, critical stakeholders and indeed all members of the PDP to close ranks, put aside every personal or group interests and work together in the overall effort to reposition and return the PDP to power at the centre in the interest of the Nigerian people.
Earlier, the PDP Board of Trustees had said Damagum’s long stay in office as acting chairman and the controversies surrounding the national secretary Senator Samuel Anyanwu to office created the current tension within the party.
The BoT chairman Senator Adolphus Wabara, said, “I must address a matter that weighs heavily on our collective conscience, the leadership of the party as it stands.
“Recalling the events that led to the ousting of the former chairman of the party in person of H.E. Senator Iyorchia Ayu, the current acting chairman has spent over a year in office whereas as the usual practice of the party, the region from whence the national officer hails from should have produced a viable candidate to complete the tenure of the former national officer.
“Furthermore, the contentious issue surrounding the office of the national secretary has regrettably sown seeds of discord within our party. The ambiguity surrounding this position has led to confusion and internal strife, hindering our collective efforts to pursue our noble objectives.
“The solutions to these two challenges are clearly imbibed in our party’s constitution but deliberate litigations have made the application of these constitutional solutions impossible.
“It is incumbent upon us to resolve this matter with utmost urgency, guided by transparency, fairness, and the best interests of our party and its members.
“As we stand on the cusp of a new era, marked by the impending expiration of the Ward and LGA executive structures of our party across several states, we are presented with a pivotal opportunity to reinvigorate and reposition our party for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.”
The meeting was attended by Atiku Abubakar; former vice president Namadi Sambo; governors of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed; Oyo State, Seyi Makinde; Adamawa State, Ahmed Fintiri; Bayelsa State, Duoye Diri; Osun State, Ademola Adeleke; Rivers State, Sim Fubara; Delta State, Sheriff Francis Oborevwori, and Akwa Ibom State, Eno Umo.
In attendance also in the meeting is FCT minister Nyesom Wike. Others include members of the NWC, principal officers of the National Assembly, former governors, former ministers, state chairmen and other members of NEC.
Court rescues APC chairman,Ganduje, in Kano
A Federal High Court sitting in Kano State has stopped the purported suspension of All Progressives Congress (APC) national chairman, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje by his Ganduje ward in Dawakin-Tofa Local Government Area of Kano State.
The order followed an ex parte motion filed by Dr Ganduje seeking to enforce his fundamental right to a fair hearing.
In a certified true copy of the order sighted by LEADERSHIP Friday, the respondents in the application are the Nigeria Police, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and nine other individuals.
In the ex parte order delivered on Wednesday and made available to journalists on Thursday, the presiding Judge, A.M Liman of the Federal High Court, Kano said the purported suspension should not be implemented until the case is heard and determined.
“All the Respondents, their servants, agents or privies are hereby restrained from Implementing and/or giving effect to the purported decision reached during the purported emergency meeting of the alleged Executive members of APC Ganduje Ward, held at Ganduje Ward of Dawakin Tofa Local.
“All the parties are hereby mandated to maintain status quo before the purported emergency meeting of the alleged executive members of APC Ganduje Ward, and to stay action in respect of this matter pending the hearing and determination of the substantive application,” Liman said.
The judge subsequently fixed April 30 for the hearing of Ganduje’s appeal.