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From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP), Umar Damagum, yesterday, insisted that the party was yet to hold its South South congress to elect new executives.
He stated this while inaugurating a caretaker committee to pilot the affairs of the party in the zone, pending the election of a substantive executive.
Some PDP stakeholders had reportedly held a zonal congress on March 12, in Calabar, Cross River State, where Chief Dan Orbih, an ally of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory ( FCT), Nyesom Wike, was re- elected as national vice chairman.
But the PDP in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, said the exercise, which was boycotted by the four governors elected on the platform of the party, was null and void, as it had earlier rescheduled the congress.
Consequently, the party constituted a seven-man caretaker committee headed by former national vice chairman, Chief Emma Ogida, to take charge of the zone pending the conduct of a congress to elect new officials.
Damagum said inauguration of a caretaker committee became imperative following the expiration of the zonal executives in the zone.
“I want to use this opportunity to tell us that there was no election as far as this party is concerned, in the South-South. I have to make this clear because the tenure of the zonal committee has expired and we still have a few weeks or a month or so to do the Zonal Congresses. So we find it necessary to come up with this caretaker committee.”
Damagum stated that the PDP remains the party to beat and charged stakeholders not to be afraid of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“The PDP is the guarantee for Nigerians to change the course of what is happening today in our country. I also want to use this opportunity to caution our leaders, don’t fear them.
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“Nobody is going to change your destiny for you other than yourself. I’ve noticed maybe because of fears, you sometimes find leaders encouraging this present administration at the center. I find it really very disgusting. Let us tell ourselves the truth.
“Please, let us be up and doing. Don’t fear anyone. Nigerians belong to all of us. So, there’s nobody who is a better Nigerian than you are. It’s all an opportunity, but if you put your act together, the path is very bright, we will reach the destination.”
Bayelsa State Governor, Diri Douye, hailed the inauguration of the caretaker Committee as a step in the right direction.
He noted that there was a need for the opposition party to look inward and address its challenges, so as to be competitive.
“The PDP has to sit back and then fix its own internal issues and challenges, that is only when you can stand up to compete with others. For me, I want the PDP to be competitive with other political parties. We are indeed the oldest political party in Nigeria so, we have no reason to be accusing outsiders.
“Let us look inwards and fix our challenges and I’m sure by the time we do that, we will be out there to be very competitive. The political will is with the people, the members of the party and we are all members of the party. So, the moment we all come to that resolution, that we need to fix our party, there can be no one person that is bigger than the party.”
Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT), Senator Adolphus Wabara, who expressed delight over inauguration of the new caretaker committee.
Wabara said the concern is about PDP as a platform and not necessarily the 2027 general elections.
“It is not about 2027. It is about PDP as a platform. If we get it right, 2027 is just for us to pick. But without this party, without Nigerians we will be lost, including ourselves.”
