Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Guardian Nigeria
Published on 2024-04-19 04:25:03
The recent National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was a highly staked event that resulted in the retention of acting national chairman, Umar Damagum. Despite pressure from party members and stakeholders loyal to former vice president Atiku Abubakar, Damagum will continue in his role until the national convention.
The decision to maintain Damagum as acting chairman was backed by both the national caucus and the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP, who passed a vote of confidence on him. This decision was reached despite calls for his resignation from the PDP House of Representatives caucus. The NEC commended the leadership of the party and urged members to work together for the success of the PDP.
The presence of Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), at the national caucus meeting was criticized by some party members and supporters. This meeting marked the first time all PDP leaders had gathered since the 2023 election, which had divided the party due to disagreements over the choice of Atiku as the presidential candidate.
Internal wrangling within the party following the poor performance at the polls led to the ousting of the PDP national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu. The issue of leadership change, though not on the agenda for the recent NEC meeting, may be discussed at a future meeting in August.
In a post-meeting interview, Damagum emphasized that the leadership issue was not a matter of life and death. The PDP Governors’ Forum chairman, Bala Mohammed, also noted the peaceful nature of the meeting and emphasized the united front of the party.
However, not all party members were pleased with the outcome. Ikenga Ugochinyere, a member of the House of Representatives, criticized the PDP National Caucus and governors for allowing a serving APC government official to attend the closed-door meeting. Ugochinyere expressed concern over the party’s ability to capture power in 2027 if it allows such actions.
On the economic front, the PDP NEC called on President Bola Tinubu to overhaul his economic team and review policies that are negatively affecting the economy. The NEC also expressed concerns over increasing insecurity, economic hardship, unemployment, and other pressing issues in the country.
Despite the internal challenges and differing opinions within the party, the PDP NEC urged all members to set aside personal interests and work towards the common goal of repositioning the party and returning to power at the center. The focus remains on benefiting Nigerians and upholding democracy in the country.
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