Most governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party want the party’s acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, removed from his position, the Saturday PUNCH has learnt.
These governors include Bala Mohammed (Bauchi); Siminalayi Fubara (Rivers); Ademola Adeleke (Osun); Godwin Obaseki (Edo); Sheriff Orohwedor (Delta), and Dauda Lawal (Zamfara).
Others are Douye Diri (Bayelsa); Kefas Agbu (Taraba); Amadu Fintri (Adamawa); Peter Mbah (Enugu); Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau), and Seyi Makinde (Oyo).
The PDP National Deputy Chairman (North), Damagun, was appointed acting National Chairman in March after a high court order restrained and later suspended, Senator Iyorchia Ayu from parading himself as the party’s national chairman.
Saturday PUNCH exclusively gathered that most of the PDP governors agreed that the party needs a total overhaul from the top to the bottom.
A source who is a member of the party’s National Executive Committee and close to some of the governors said, “They are not interested in confirming Damagum as the PDP substantive National Chairman.”
Speaking on the grounds of anonymity, the source disclosed that the governors have their plan and confirmed Damagum is not part of it.
Responding to a question on the party will confirm Damagum since the Supreme Court has dismissed its 2023 Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar’s case for lacking in merit and affirmed President Bola Tinubu’s victory, the source said stakeholders will re-position the party.
The source stated, “Of course, we will review our performance and we will decide how to get the new leadership of the party. The governors are not interested in enabling stakeholders to confirm Damagum as PDP National Chairman, they have their plans and they want him out to reposition the party from top to bottom.
“But all these will be decided and the implementation will start from the next NEC meeting,” the source added.
Explaining why the NEC meeting was delayed, the source noted, “During the last PDP governors’ forum meeting, the governors unanimously agreed that this is not the best time to hold a NEC meeting.
“They pointed out that holding the NEC meeting now will distract the party members from concentrating on the governorship elections in Kogi, Bayelsa, and Imo. So they delayed it to enable party members to concentrate in these governorship elections.”
Another source who is a high-ranking member of the PDP National Working Committee said, “You can’t hold NEC meeting now when we are supposed to focus on how to win the governorship elections in Imo, Kogi, and Bayelsa.”
Our correspondent’s efforts to get the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba react to this development did not yield the desired results as his phone rang out nor did he respond to text messages sent to him as of the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile, the former Kano State governor, Ibrahim Shakarau, in an interview with our correspondent, called for a post-mortem on the party’s performance.
He stated, “The most important thing for the PDP to do in this critical is post mortem. There is an urgent need for the party to investigate what happened during the 2023 election.
“Yes, God gives power to whoever he wishes. But the same God told the humans that he does things with reason. And the challenge to human beings, in this case, members of the PDP, is to look at these reasons and see what can be done to make amends.
“So my general recommendation to the PDP is to carry out a post-modem analysis of what played out. The party should also settle all grievances, reconcile aggrieved members, discipline where necessary, and move forward.”
