On this piece, Muhammed Lawal examines the delicate reconciliation efforts throughout the Peoples Democratic Celebration and explores the possible affect those inner dynamics will have at the impending Ondo Situation governorship election, particularly at a generation when the birthday party’s solidarity hangs within the steadiness
The sixteenth President of america, Abraham Lincoln, mentioned a area divided towards itself is destined to collapse. Contemporary traits within the opposition Peoples Democratic Celebration have bolstered the validity of this aphorism.
The strife within the birthday party, now focused at its embattled appearing Nationwide Chairman, Umar Damagum, mirrors the dramatic twists order the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Abdullahi Ganduje.
Damagum, who prior to now served because the PDP Nationwide Deputy Chairman (North), assumed the position of appearing Nationwide Chairman nearest a court-ordered suspense of the birthday party’s former Nationwide Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, in March 2023.
Like a few of his predecessors, Damagum has survived a number of makes an attempt to unseat him. Within the lead-up to the April 18, 2024 Nationwide Govt Committee assembly, discussions about whether or not Damagum will have to accumulation his place or get replaced turned into a central factor amongst birthday party officers.
Rift starts
The dissent escalated when some PDP contributors criticised Damagum for failing to put in force essential reforms. The status reached a boiling level when 60 contributors of the Space of Representatives known as for his departure, difficult a brandnew chairman from the North Central area.
In reaction, the Space minority caucus, led via Kingsley Chinda, distanced itself from this faction, mentioning it unrecognised inside parliament. This category was once open right through a contemporary collecting of the PDP caucus, the place lawmakers have been sharply divided between the ones supporting Damagum and the ones opposing his persevered tenure.
In consequence, the main purpose of the pre-NEC assembly—to endorse Damagum with a vote of self belief via lawmakers aligned with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike—encountered stumbling blocks and didn’t go as deliberate.
In a observation via its Nationwide Exposure Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, the PDP Nationwide Running Committee praised the determination and efforts of the appearing Nationwide Chairman in stabilising and revitalising the PDP as Nigeria’s major opposition birthday party.
Elimination plots
Rigidity, on the other hand, heightened in June when the PDP filed a counter movement to the Federal Prime Courtroom in Abuja’s line, which had avoided it from eliminating Damagum.
This got here nearest the lawn, on Would possibly 3, issued an injunction barring the birthday party from appointing, deciding on, or nominating someone to switch him till the movement on understand was once heard and determined.
In reaction, the PDP’s Nationwide Prison Abettor, Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN), seen in an interview that the birthday party had filed a countermotion.
He said, “We don’t need to appeal because the case has not been decided. What they obtained is an interim injunction, but the case will be heard on its merits on July 1st. The party has filed its counter. The major point in the party’s counter is that we urge the court to dismiss the case because it is an internal affair of the party.”
Because the NEC assembly of the PDP, scheduled for October 24, approaches birthday party contributors, particularly from the North Central area, have persevered pushing for Damagum’s substitute, insisting that his successor will have to come from their zone.
They cited Category 47(6) of the PDP’s charter, which stipulates that if a emptiness arises in any birthday party place of work, the chief committee will have to appoint any person from the similar area because the departing officer to finish the time period.
A confrontation arose between two PDP contributors over which zone will have to construct Damagum’s substitute. Segun Showunmi, a 2023 governorship aspirant in Ogun Situation, disagreed with the birthday party’s former Nationwide Exposure Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, at the topic.
Future Ologbondiyan argued that the substitute will have to come from the North Central, Showunmi insisted the placement was once now not unique to the zone.
In the meantime, North-East governors throughout the PDP recommended Damagum to stay in place of work till the tenure of the ousted former Nationwide Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, formally expires.
Then again, the North Central management started in the hunt for a substitute for him forward of the 99th NEC assembly.
Including to the interior discord, PDP stalwart, Dino Melaye, accused Damagum; Nationwide Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, and the Nationwide Establishing Secretary, Umar Bature, of ruining the birthday party.
In a scathing observation, Melaye wrote, “End of the road for PDP as Damagum, Bature, and Anyanwu irredeemably destroyed the party. We will talk about the commercialisation and privatisation of PDP. PDP is now once upon a time.”
Damagum unshaken
In line with the continued pressures, the appearing nationwide chairman, hopefully asserted that no person may drive him to step ailing from his place.
He mentioned, “Let me send a message to everyone talking about Damagum this, Damagum that – I cannot be intimidated. The more you mention me, the more popular I become.”
He maintained that the criticisms had boosted his profile, and he was once even considering operating for the presidency.
As tensions escalated throughout the birthday party, Damagum suspense the Nationwide Running Committee assembly in September, amid rising friction between Wike and the PDP Governors’ Discussion board over the condition of the Rivers Situation Celebration congresses.
This stress has been exacerbated via the continued political warfare between Wike and Rivers Situation Governor, Siminalayi Fubara.
The PDP governors have taken a sunny stance, supporting Fubara and insisting that, because the sitting governor, he will have to be recognised because the chief of the birthday party within the condition.
The governors’ place angered Wike, who warned them to stick out of Rivers Situation affairs, threatening to “put fire” of their states in the event that they intervened.
In reaction, the governors condemned Wike’s warning, labelling it irresponsible, and reiterated that their stance remained unchanged, reminding him that right through his tenure as Rivers governor, he was once in a similar fashion recognised because the condition’s birthday party chief.
Govs divided
The birthday party’s inner catastrophe deepened when 13 PDP condition governors met to talk about the emergence of a factional PDP Nationwide Chairman, Alhaji Yayari Mohammed, and the rising requires Damagum’s removing.
This proceed has divided the governors, with the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Discussion board and Bauchi Situation Governor, Bala Mohammed, eminent six others within the push to oust Damagum, who’s discoverable as Wike’s best friend.
Those governors are Ademola Adeleke (Osun), Godwin Obaseki (Edo), Douye Diri (Bayelsa), Siminalayi Fubara (Rivers), Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), and Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom).
At the opposing aspect, 4 governors, led via Oyo Situation Governor, Seyi Makinde, aligned with Wike, resisting Damagum’s removing.
This workforce contains Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau), and Agbu Kefas (Taraba). In the meantime, two governors—Peter Mbah of Enugu and Dauda Lawal of Zamfara—have remained impartial.
Ondo election truce
The birthday party has begun reconciliation efforts, which some view as extra of a tactical manoeuvre than a honest truce, with the main function of securing victory within the then Ondo Situation governorship election.
Recall that the PDP misplaced to the APC within the September 21 Edo Situation governorship election. The birthday party is assumed to have moved to get to the bottom of the conflicting problems throughout the birthday party for a greater consequence within the Ondo Situation ballot.
Sequel to this, the Chairman of the PDP Governors Discussion board, Mohammed, introduced that the interior conflicts were resolved. The Bauchi Situation governor, week corroborating this declare, reassured that there was once now not a faction throughout the PDP Nationwide Running Committee, noting that operations had returned to commonplace below Damagum till the governors and alternative birthday party our bodies met to handle all exceptional problems.
He said, “I want to inform you, on behalf of the PDP Governors Forum, Chairman of the Senate Caucus, and the representative of the BoT, that we had a family meeting and wish to reaffirm that there is no faction in the PDP. All these suspensions that you heard about – the governors, the NWC, the Caucus of the National Assembly, and the BoT – have resolved everything. There is no faction, and everything has reverted to the status quo under the acting Chairman Damagum, pending the time when the governors and other organs of the party will sit down and resolve all the issues.”
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Talking at the topic, the Lagos Situation PDP Vice Chairman, Tai Benedict, mentioned the birthday party were going through a dozen of issues below the appearing nationwide chairman. He added that if the conflicts may well be resolved via October 24, it would receive advantages the birthday party.
Benedict stressed out that if Damagum resigned, it will be just right for his occasion.
“It is not going to be as easy, as we are thinking. We have a lot of things at stake. This crisis must be resolved. We are having a governorship election in Ondo State. At the end of the day, if this issue is not resolved, it is going to be a problem. Also, next year, we shall be having zonal elections, and this issue will affect that too,” he defined.
He added that PDP governors were in Ondo Situation for days to flag off the marketing campaign, not like in Edo, the place a few of them didn’t attend.
Benedict said that the Edo Situation governor was once now not on just right phrases with the FCT minister.
“We can’t talk about PDP today and leave Wike out of it. Wike has been the one controlling PDP since 2015, or thereabouts. I want to give him credit for that, but that doesn’t mean he should be God. He has transformed himself into God, which is why we have been having problems in the PDP in recent years. I believe that if Damagum is eventually removed or resigns voluntarily, it will be the beginning of a good thing for the PDP. I know that Damagum is being used by Wike,” he said.
Additionally sharing his ideas, the Abia Situation PDP Vice Chairman and Performing Exposure Secretary, Abraham Amah, famous that the problems within the birthday party have been being resolved. He said that the nationwide chairman was once in his place of work doing his paintings, and all alternative officials of the birthday party have been doing theirs, including that they have been operating in combination at the Ondo Situation election and alternative nationwide coverage issues.
He mentioned, “The PDP has a constitution; we don’t act arbitrarily. We are guided by that constitution and also by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We had a chairman who was elected during the party congress, in the person of Iyorchia Ayu, and when he had a problem that made him step down, we looked at the constitution, and that was how Damagum came in. There is no need for Damagum to resign. Those who don’t want Damagum should wait until the next congress. There is no basis for him to resign.”
He additional said that the problem relating to Rivers Situation was once now not one thing that anyone may care for personally.
Amah added, “The one frame that has the ability to offer with that factor is the Nationwide Running Committee and the Nationwide Govt Committee of the PDP. It’s only at that time that all sides of the tale might be heard totally.
“The party can resolve issues of this nature. As time goes by, we will be able to overcome the Wike and Damagum issues and move on to face the challenges of the 2027 General Elections. We are doing everything possible to make sure we win the Ondo State election.”