•Fubara’s camp wants Damagun kicked out as chairman, opposition govs converge on Asaba
Prominent leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party, including the National Working Committee and National Executive Committee members, have waded into the rift between the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, and the Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed.
While some called on both leaders to close ranks and rebuild the party ahead of the next election cycle in 2027, others argued that the rift between the two politicians was personal and as such, would have no impact on the fortunes of the party at the polls in two years’ time.
Last week, Wike through his media adviser, Lere Olayinka, chided the Bauchi governor for his opposition to the tax reform bills, which were transmitted to the National Assembly in the last quarter of 2024.
Returning the favour, the governor labelled the FCT minister a “transactional politician” whose habitual betrayal of his benefactors was well documented.
At Wednesday’s Board of Trustees meeting of the party in Abuja, the acting National Chairman of the party, Umar Damagum, and the BoT chairman, Adolphus Wabara, expressed disappointment at the multi-layered crises currently rocking the PDP and called on aggrieved members to sheathe their swords in the interest of the party.
Speaking exclusively with our reporter on Thursday, the National Organising Secretary of the party, Umar Bature, said the verbal war between the two leaders is personal and has nothing to do with the PDP.
When asked if the ongoing feud is capable of wrecking the boat of the PDP, Bature said, “I don’t think so. It is personal between them and has nothing to do with the party.”
Also speaking, a member of the party’s National Executive Council and Deputy National Youth Leader, Timothy Osadolor, blamed the ruling APC for the rift within the party ranks, stressing that the fear of the fate which awaits the ruling party largely informs its fixation on the PDP.
He, however, called on the two warring PDP chieftains to let go of their differences and rebuild the party for future challenges.
Osadolor said, “No other political party outside the PDP, has a chance to defeat the ruling APC. This is why the APC is interested in fueling the crisis in the PDP. As statesmen and leaders, we urge them (Wike and Bala) to close ranks if not for their interest but in the overall interest of Nigerians.
“The two men (Wike and Bala) are senior members of the PDP. It is not in the best interest of the younger generation for them to continue to publicly attack themselves the way they are doing but we need to look at the issues. The issues are political.
“Wike is a senior member of the PDP who has paid his dues and is still paying his dues. Gov Bala Mohammed is an elder statesman and chairman of the PDP Governors Forum. But this is not the time to apportion blames
“Being critical stakeholders and role models to many young ones, we must appeal to them to sheathe their words. For the interest of the PDP and Nigerians who believe in the party, they should close their ranks and help build a formidable party that will dislodge the APC in 2027.”
On claims by former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai urging the opposition to come together and give the APC a fight in 2027, Osadolor described the remark as encouraging, adding that the ex-governor was free to return to the party that first thrust him into national prominence.
He said, “We know that El-Rufai is used to verbosity at times. It was the PDP that exposed him to the national limelight. So, we are not particularly surprised that he is saying things seen by many as pro-PDP. What he said was not unexpected of him. If he wants to return to the PDP, he knows that the doors are wide open to him. He also knows that there is a seat waiting for him to come and sit on. Credible persons like El-Rufai will help not only to rebuild the PDP but also to rebuild the nation.
“He (El-Rufai) has shown time and again that with public office, he can deliver for the benefit of the people. He was able to showcase his worth because the PDP gave him the platform to do so. Since then, he has become a household name. It is only natural he comes back home,” he added.
Taking a different stand, another NEC member, Diran Odeyemi, disagreed with the notion that APC was responsible for the crisis in the PDP.
According to him, the indiscipline being witnessed in the party could have been avoided if sanctions were meted out against those who violated the PDP constitution by their actions in the past.
He said, “Only a bad workman blames his tools for a job badly done. We are the cause of our problems. We must stop blaming the APC for the crises in our party. Let me add that we know why these crises are lingering.
“To address these issues, we must admit that nobody is bigger than the PDP and nobody is above discipline. Anyone guilty of perpetrating anti-party activities should be sanctioned.”
Oyinlola meets govs
Meanwhile, the party vowed to put an end to the lingering crisis in the party.
The Chairman of the PDP National Reconciliation Committee, Senator Olagunsoye Oyinlola, stated this during a meeting with the three PDP governors from the North East sub-region in Bauchi on Thursday.
The meeting brought together Senator Oyinlola and the governors of Bauchi, Adamawa and Taraba states.
Oyinlola emphasised the importance of reaching out to aggrieved party members and resolving internal conflicts to re-establish a formidable force that could ensure the PDP’s return to power.
While commending the three PDP governors for their efforts in strengthening the party, Senator Oyinlola urged them “to deepen the reconciliation process down to all stakeholders for sustainable growth and development.
“The main purpose of the committee is to reconcile and reunite party members, thereby positioning the PDP for victory in the next general elections.”
Speaking on behalf of the three PDP governors, Adamawa State Governor, Umaru Fintiri, described the activities of the committee as timely and expressed confidence that the party would bounce back to power.
He also criticised the APC-led Federal Government for inflicting hardship on Nigerians through its economic policies.
“Addressing the challenges facing the party, with the ultimate goal of regaining power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027 is timely, “Fintiri noted.
The Special Assistant to Rivers State Governor on Electronic Media, Jerry Omatsogunwa, said it was time the PDP kicked out its acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, was shown the way out.
Omatsogunwa said the party ought to obey the law, saying what happened at the party’s national secretariat on Wednesday was shameful.
He said this while speaking to one of our correspondents on the telephone on Thursday, saying disregard for the law was at the centre of the crisis in the main opposing party in the country.
Omatsogunwa also said Samuel Anyanwu, one of those laying claim to the National Secretary of the party, had no right to return after he left to contest for an elective position.
The media aide to Governor Siminalayi Fubara said since Damagum’s emergence as acting National Chairman, the PDP was losing more states.
He said, “For me the way forward is that the party is a creation of law or the constitution and if the law has said this person you have gone out to contest election and you don’t have any right to come back.
“I think that the law should be obeyed to the letter. It is this idea of self-help thinking that you can do something on your own in disregard for the law. That is where the problem comes in.”
He added, “The PDP as a law abiding party ought to have obeyed the court judgment that said Anyanwu is no longer the party secretary. Because if Anyanwu had gone to another High Court when the Appeal Court that is higher than the High Court had given judgment, I think that is an aberration.
“So if you have appealed at the Supreme Court and you need to do the needful, do it. Then at the end of the day if it favours you fine you come back. If it doesn’t favour you, you have lost at the Federal High Court, you have lost at the Appeal. So why still grandstanding?
“For peace to reign, I think Anyanwu needs to be kicked out so that peace can reign. But I also think that Damagun, who is the acting Chairman, needs to be thrown overboard like the Biblical Jonah because of too much trouble.
“You can be a witness that since he came in even some states that are ruled by the PDP have lost it. Same thing that happened to Oshiomhole and at a time Oshiomhole was kicked out of the APC.
“I think the PDP needs to do that as a way forward so that it can become the formidable opposition that it ought to be.”
(Punch)
