PDP Lawmakers Call For Damagun’s Resignation As Chairman

By Gloria Essien, Abuja

Ahead of the National Executive Committee meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party, a group of PDP federal lawmakers under the aegis of the Opposition Lawmakers Coalition has called for the resignation of the Acting Chairman of the party, Mr Umar Damagun.

The lawmakers said his resignation would pave the way for a North Central member to emerge as the acting chairman of the party pending the conduct of a convention as required by the party’s constitution.

Addressing newsmen at a press conference, the spokesperson of the group and member representing Ideato Federal constituency, Mr Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, flanked by other leading members of the G60 lawmakers in the coalition said that members cannot be in a political party where the activities of such party are determined by another political party.

Mr Ugochinyere insisted that going by the constitution of the PDP and in line with its zoning formula enshrined in the constitution, it was the turn of the North Central to produce the Chairman of the party.

He called on North Central leaders to meet and present a credible replacement for Sen. Iyorchia Ayu.

The group accused the Ag. Chairman of PDP, Umar Damagun of working for the ruling All Progressives Congress, (APC).

They alleged that the list of caretaker committee members in Rivers state was doctored in favour of former Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike and members of the Rivers House of Assembly who have defected from PDP to APC with card-carrying members of APC emerging as would be officers of the PDP.

They also accused Damagun of approving the plot to impeach the Rivers State Governor, Similayan Fubara, saying that Damagun “is fully aware of the entire details of the plots to impeach the Rivers State governor and he gave his approval to the plot, yet he refers himself as a Chairman of a party”.

Immediate demands

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 the chairman of the largest opposition in the country coupled with the tampering of the caretaker committee lists in Rivers and 10 other states have been exposed.

They listed their demands as follows:

“i. Immediate resignation of Umar Iliya Damagun as Ag. National Chairman of PDP for anti-party activities and for the North Central zone to produce the acting chairman as clearly stated in the PDP constitution.

ii. Removal of Umar Iliya Damagun by the NEC of the Party with further sanctions against him for his anti-party activities.

iii. That the NEC of the Party should ensure that the list of party Caretaker Committees in Rivers State and the 10 other states tampered by Damagun and his APC friends be reversed and announced as originally agreed.

iv. That NEC of PDP should review the sources of generating finance for the party to pay its national secretariat staff and discharge all other responsibilities of the party.

v. That PDP NEC sets up a Committee to investigate all continuing acts of anti-party activities from 2023 and mete out appropriate sanctions which will serve as a deterrent and also encourage cleansing of the party.

vi. That a credible party leader from the North Central be confirmed as Chairman of the party in line with the zoning formula as enshrined in the Constitution.

Where these demands are not met, we the Opposition lawmakers coalition from PDP in the National Assembly will be left with no other options but to suspend participating in the party activities and seek new political relationship where decisions in that party will not be taken in the Secretariats of another political party”.

The lawmakers threatened to quit the Party if the doctored list of Local Government Caretaker Committees of the party in Rivers and 10 other states which was filled with members and loyalists of the All Progressive Congress, APC is not nullified.

They also promised to seek legal action against the enemies of the PDP.

Emmanuel Ukoh