A group of opposition lawmakers has accused certain governors within the Peoples Democratic Party, along with the party’s National Working Committee and state chairmen, of conspiring to keep Umar Damagum as the acting national chairman until 2027, weakening the party in the process, claiming that they are always found within Nyesom Wike’s home.
During a press conference on Sunday in Akokwa, Imo State, the coalition’s spokesperson, Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere, claimed that part of their strategy was to ensure Damagum remains in power while securing endorsements from PDP state chairmen for President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 elections.
Ugochinyere criticized the PDP leadership for failing to effectively oppose the ruling party and allowing opportunists to turn the party into an “errand platform” for the APC, according to Daily Post.
Ugochinyere also accused the PDP’s national leadership of collaborating with the ruling APC, alleging that members of the PDP leadership have been meeting with APC officials in London.
He claimed that the national chairman and secretary of the PDP have been frequently in Nyesom Wike’s home, a minister in the APC government, at a time when the nation is facing a crisis.
The spokesperson warned that the PDP leadership had devised a plan to block the upcoming National Executive Committee meeting that was meant to select a new chairman from the North-central region.
According to Ugochinyere, the party’s leadership aims to keep Damagum in office until 2027, hoping to impose a “weak” presidential candidate for the party.
He accused the current leadership of undermining the party and allowing the ruling party to gain an advantage.
Further, Ugochinyere criticized the continuous delays of the NEC meeting, which had originally been set for August 15 to address outstanding issues. The meeting was later rescheduled for October 24 and then November 28, but it was once again postponed, with no new date announced. He claimed the party’s leadership had been offering various excuses, including the Sallah holiday, to delay the meeting.
Ugochinyere said, “You have a national chairman and a secretary who in 24 hours are in Nyesom Wike’s bedroom, a minister in the APC government.
“At a time when Nigeria is facing a serious crisis, our opposition is now in the bedroom of the ruling party.
“Today, I want to inform the whole Nigeria that they have perfected a plan to ensure that the NEC meeting to choose a chairman from North-central, where the position is originally supposed to come from, is not possible.
“They want Umar Damagum, an imposter of the highest order, to continue to parade as the national chairman and stay in office till 2027 so they can foist on us a weakling that will be presidential candidate.
“We have impostors among us, who have no honour and decency. They have decided to kill the political party. The ruling party will be laughing at them now that they want to sabotage their own party”.
Ugochinyere further claimed that the national leaders were always inventing excuses to delay the NEC meeting.
“First, they said there was a Sallah holiday and they shifted it. Since last year they kept on shifting the NEC meeting. Till now, no NEC meeting, they keep on giving different excuses.”
