Damagum: PDP’s problems are self-inflicted but we’ll expel the masterminds

Umar Damagum, acting national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), says members fuelling the party’s crisis will be expelled.

Damagum spoke in Abuja on Tuesday at the party’s national executive committee (NEC) meeting.

The NEC is the highest decision-making organ of the PDP, comprising state governors, serving and former presidents, former vice-presidents, the chairman and secretary of the board of trustees (BoT), principal officers of the national assembly, all state chairpersons, members of the national working committee (NWC), former governors, and founding members, among others.

According to section 31(4) of the PDP constitution, the NEC is required to meet every three months. However, the opposition party has not convened a NEC meeting since April 2024.

The PDP has been grappling with an internal crisis since 2022, leading many members to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Damagum said the opposition party has an internal mechanism to address its crisis.

“I want to also reiterate that the beauty of the PDP is that it has always had an internal mechanism to surmount whatever obstacle from anybody, even if he’s an alien, whom we know, to solve its problem,” he said.

“And this is one of them. People are outside, waiting to see whether we can surmount all these self-inflicted problems and somehow engineered from some quarters.

“But with the help of God, we continue to overcome. They will put up obstacles, and we will surmount them until we show them the way out.”

The acting national chairman said the NEC would meet thrice before the national convention, which is scheduled for the end of the year.

Adolphus Wabara, chairman of the PDP BoT, said the party was once “a beacon of hope” for Nigerians and must reclaim that role.

“The journey of our party has been long, sometimes turbulent, but always deeply rooted in our collective aspirations for a united, democratic and prosperous Nigeria,” Wabara said.

“While we have faced internal and external challenges, and in most cases self-inflicted challenges, we have also witnessed our enduring strength, the strength of our ideals, the resilience of our supporters, and the loyalty of millions of Nigerians as we also see today in the PDP as the most credible platform for national transformation.”

Wabara said divisions, mistrust, and lingering grievances among the party leaders have hampered the PDP’s progress and blurred its vision.

He advised party leaders to recommit to reconciliation and restore faith in the PDP.

“We must open our hearts to forgive and dialogue. No ambition, grievance or misunderstanding should ever be allowed to override the collective interests of our party,” he said.

“Our doors must remain wide open to fresh ideas and new members who believe in justice, equity and equality.”

He said peace and unity are sacrosanct because Nigerians hope the PDP will reclaim the presidency.

“The ordinary Nigerian is tired of hardship, insecurity, and unfulfilled promises. They are looking for leadership that listens, leadership that delivers and leadership that matters,” he said.

“Let the PDP rise. Let us strengthen our internal democracy, revamp our communication channels and prioritise policies that directly touch the lives of everyday Nigerians.”

Wabara added that the PDP must articulate a people-focused vision and present a credible alternative, not just as critics of government but as champions of the future.