A coalition of PDP pressure, advocacy and support groups said that, the Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is an asset and will be even a greater asset when confirmed as the substantive National Chairman.
In a press statement signed by Comrade Daboikiabo Z Warmate Director General of the coalition & Leader Concerned PDP League (CPDPL), Hajiha Nafisat B. Muhammed General secretary of the Coalition & Coordinator PDP North East & North Central Alliance, Comrade Gbenga Adedamola Director Leadership and Strategic Engagement of the Coalition & General Secretary Southern PDP Interest Vanguard (SPDPIV) and Comrade Ibrahim T. Abubakar, Director Media of the Coalition & Chairman Arewa PDP Forum (APDPF), urged the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to confirm the Acting National Chairman as the substantive National Chairman in their 98th NEC meeting come on in April 18, 2024.
The statement reads in part;
Your Excellencies and most distinguish leaders and esteem members of our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Executive Committee (NEC), we bring warmest greetings from the desk of the coalition of concerned PDP pressure, advocacy and support groups.
We deem it extremely expedient for us to draw the attention of the National Executive Committee (NEC) to a very crucial decision they most take in the interest and future of our great party, the PDP.
Your Excellencies may recall that on the 28th of March, 2023, a political tornado occasioned by dissatisfaction from majority of PDP members swept the former National Chairman, His Excellency Senator Iyorchai Ayu out of office via the court, and that informed the appointment of the Deputy National Chairman North, His Excellency Ambassador Umar Illiya Damagum as the Acting National Chairman, in consonance with the constitution of our great party.
It is exactly a year and one week, the mandate bestowed on the Acting National Chairman has enabled him bestrode the landscape of this country pursuading and pacifying aggrieved members to let go of their anger and disssuading members who intended to leave the party not to and those engaged in media war to desist from doing so. This precipitated the tranquility and equanimity we presently enjoy in the party, and it is imperative this is sustained.
Of the truth, and beyond every reasonable doubts and arguments, Ambassador Umar Illiya Damagum, has proven to be an asset to our great party and has given an excellent account of himself as Acting National Chairman, most especially in the area of peace building in the party and uniting the party, which also is what we need the most in the party presently, to provide the strong opposition Nigerians are yearning for.
We therefore, advise, plead, urge and demand that, the National Executive Committee (NEC) in it’s forthcoming meeting on the 18th of April, 2024, confirm Ambassador Umar illiya Damagum as the substantive National Chairman. And we should not let primordial and parochial sentiments make such an asset slide off our hands. We believe, your excellencies, distinguish leaders and esteem members of the NEC are abreast with his achievements and as such, will not bore you all with the lenthy list of achievements.
It’s note worthy that, at this point of the stage of our party, we don’t need to organize a mid term or special convention or appoint a completely new person, that will constitute a serious set back and distraction to the party. May we remined the NEC not to repeat the 2015 bitter experience, of appointing a new person in the person of Alhaji Adam Mua’zu, who allegedly was unable to organize the party and abandoned it and travelled abroad at the eve of the 2015 presidential election, which saw the party woeful outing and lied the foundation for all the crisis we are having in the party today.
The coalition group also lambasted Sen. Gabriel Suswam for attacking the party and it’s leadership on a national television programme. They describe him as a misfit for the position of the National Chairman because of his inability to win any of the 2015 general elections even as a seating Governor at the time.
And we also wish to condemn the uncomplimentary comment His Excellency Senator Gabriel Suswam the former governor of Benue State and Senator made against the party and it’s leadership, when he appeared on channels television programme, but lacks the political and moral right to do.
This is because, under his watch as the Executive Governor of Benue State, Sen. Gabriel Suswam, totally failed to deliver PDP in the 2015 presidential, gubernatorial and other elections. He handed over Benue state to APC in 2015. Even as a seating governor he lost his senatorial bid in 2015. In 2019 it was a narrow escape at the presidential election and PDP shamefully came a distance third in the 2023 presidential election and lost the gubernatorial to APC again. Even Sen. Suswam lost his senatorial election.
We also want to point out why Sen. Gabriel Suswam name appeared on the list of those involved in anti party in Benue state. As alleged, At the burial of a prominent PDP chieftain in Ushongo, late Chief Akua Aku in July, 2023, Senator Suswam declared publicly that Benue people should support Governor Alia of APC, noting that Alia’s victory was divine and for the good of Benue State.
This was while our great party and its governorship candidate, Rt. Hon. Titus Uba were still in court challenging the declaration of Alia as Governor of Benue State. If that was not an anti-party act, nothing else can be. He has not given a good account of himself in the party.
So how will such a person not be a misfit for the position of the National Chairman, having worked and spoken against our great party in contradiction to the party’s constitution as amended 2017 in section 10 subsections 1 (k), 4, 6, and section 58 1(a,b,f,h and j. We will not accept someone with such an unimpressive record to be our National Chairman.
At this point, we will want to advise the leaders of our great party to always give good account of themselves as regards protecting the party interest because, we in line with section 6(2) of our party constitution as amended 2017, will not hesitate to call them out, when they will want to seek for any party office or seek the party platform to contest any election.
However, we wish the NEC of our great party successful deliberation come April 18th, 2024.
Long Live the PDP Coalition Group
Long Live PDP
Long Live Nigeria
