*House Minority Leaders Disown Group

ABOUT 60 members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the House of Representatives have threatened to dump the party over the ongoing crises in Rivers and 10 other state chapters.

One of the protagonists, Ikenga Ugochinyere, from Imo State, and five other members who issued the threat during a press conference at the National Assembly complex in Abuja on Monday, April 8, demanded the removal of the acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, before its rescheduled National Executive Council (NEC) meeting.

Other lawmakers at the conference were Abdulmaleek Danga (PDP, Kogi); Midala Balami (PDP, Borno); Aliyu Mustapha Abdullahi (PDP, Kaduna) and Awaji-inombek D. Abiante (PDP, Rivers), said they were speaking on behalf of 60 members of the PDP in the House, which boasts of over 100 PDP lawmakers.

Ugochinyere stated: “PDP can’t be handed over to the APC. APC officers can’t emerge from our party officials in Rivers or any of the ten states with the alleged imposition of APC interest.

“Let the world know that why they are hell-bent on imposing APC officials as our party caretaker members is to fulfil a planned bigger plot.”

   Ugochinyere, on behalf of the lawmakers, rejected the NWC’s list, saying it was part of a plot by the ruling APC to undermine the PDP. 

He added: “Despite the decision to retain everybody, Damagun went ahead and received a list of APC agents and announced them as members and leaders of the PDP local government caretaker committees wholly in Rivers State and partially in at least 10 other states.

“This is a direct attempt to kill the PDP and ensure it goes into extinction.”

The lawmaker stressed that Damagum ought to have exited his acting role, but continue to serve in an acting capacity, while working against the interest of the party.

“The Damagum-led NWC is assiduously working to hand over the party to the ruling APC and their agents. Serious leadership would have looked into the acts of open anti-party activities, established why they happened and set up measures to ensure that it never happened again in the party.

“He was only constitutionally allowed to step in, hold the fort and midwife the process through which the North-Central Zone, where the chairmanship of the party was originally zoned to, presents another person who would complete the slot of the North-Central.

“Not only did Damagun hold tight to the seat for well over a year now, he has abdicated every responsibility of the office of the chairman of PDP and is very comfortable serving APC interests,” he alleged.

    The group pointed at six conditions that could address the lingering crisis in the party, including Damagun’s resignation and the investigation of some members over alleged anti-party activities, as well as allow North-Central to produce the acting chairman, as clearly stated in the PDP Constitution, “or watch us reconsider our membership of the party in the months ahead if the right thing is not done.”

Others are the “removal of Damagun by the NEC of the party with further sanctions against him for his anti-party activities.

“That the NEC of the party should ensure that the list of party caretaker committees in Rivers State and all other 10 states tampered with by Damagun and his APC friends are reversed and announced as originally agreed, that is, by extension of the tenures of the outgoing leadership.

“The move to use serving APC members in Rivers State and 10 other states to lead our party caretaker at the state, local government and ward level is the highest act of political provocation and impunity that we are going to fight with everything in us.

    “That NEC of PDP should review the sources of generating finance for the party to pay its national secretariat staff and to discharge all other responsibilities of the party and to investigate the allegation that pro-APC supporters are funding the present PDP of today. This is the height of political treason.

“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.

“Ward executives of our party where people were involved in anti-party activities or still involved, like Cross River, Rivers, Benue, Abia, Ondo, Kano, Kogi, Edo, etc, should immediately announce the expulsion of all those involved without fear or favour. This must be done immediately.

“Any executive that cannot do this should be removed by members in those wards and new officers who have the courage to enforce the provisions of our party constitution constituted to do the needful.

 “That a credible party leader from the North-Central be confirmed chairman of the party in line with the zoning formula as enshrined in the constitution.”

Ugochinyere emphasised that failure of the party to comply with the resolutions could prompt the lawmakers to seek alternative platforms, adding: “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 a new political relationship where decisions in that party will not be taken in the secretariats of another political party.”

But the minority leaders of the House, made up of all opposition parties, have disowned lawmakers.

In a statement issued and co-signed on Tuesday, April 9, by the Minority Leader and leader of the caucus, Kingsley Chinda; Deputy Minority Leader, Ali Madaki; Minority Whip, Ali Isah and Deputy Minority Whip, George Ozodinobi, they described the Ugochinyere-led coalition as a body unknown to the parliament.

According to the statement: “Our attention has been drawn to a press release by the group and we state unequivocally that the minority caucus and the PDP caucus dissociates themselves from the said press statement.

“The said coalition of lawmakers led by Ikenga Ugochinyere is unknown to the parliament and both caucuses condemn in totality, the absurd move, the uncouth and unparliamentary language of the group.

“The general public should take note that such a coalition is unknown to parliament and their demands do not represent that of the minority parties.

“The said lawmakers should desist from further misinformation of the public and be more honourable in their conduct.”