Amid a backdrop of internal discord and leadership uncertainty, the acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Illya Umar Damagum, expressed a composed stance on the tumultuous position of leadership within the party.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Thursday, Damagum downplayed the gravity of his role’s impermanence, stating, “This is not a matter of life and death. I am still an elected member of this NEC. Even if I revert to deputy national chairman, I’m still a member of NWC. The issue of surviving or not does not emerge.”
Damagum’s comments came shortly after the PDP’s National Executive Committee met on Thursday, during which discussions presumably centered around the leadership crisis plaguing the party. It was decided that another NEC meeting would be held on August 15 to elect a substantive national chairman.
The situation was further complicated by a recent judicial ruling. Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja upheld his earlier decision, barring former National Chairman Uche Secondus and others from participating in the party’s meetings, which underscores the party’s ongoing struggles with legal and leadership challenges.
Further complicating matters, the chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees, Senator Adolphus Wabara, voiced a critical perspective on Damagum’s extended tenure in an acting capacity, suggesting that it was time for him to step down. This sentiment hints at internal pressures and the need for stable leadership within the party.
Concurrently, the political atmosphere was charged with comments from the presidency criticizing the PDP’s conduct during the NEC meeting.
The presidency accused the PDP of inappropriate behavior towards President Bola Tinubu’s government, highlighting the strained relations between the opposition and the ruling administration.
Nonetheless, the chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Bala Muhammed, provided a more unified front in his remarks following the NEC meeting. He reassured that despite external speculations of discord, the party demonstrated unity and coherence.
“You can see there was no dissension and rancour. It was planned that the party will have an implosion. PDP is more than that. We have gone beyond all these idiosyncrasies. This party is a united party that is guided by experience and constitutionality,” Muhammed stated.
He also emphasized the party’s forthcoming plans to address leadership selection and constitutional adherence in the coming months, paving the way for a potentially more harmonious future.
“In the next two months, we will see a lot of activities. Leadership is a responsibility. We said in August, we would have come out from our congresses. We will look at the issue of leadership and look at the issue of our constitution, where it will be. And we will do it with no rancour,” Muhammed added.
