Fayose says PDP on verge of extinction, backs Damagum’s suspension

Ayodele Fayose, former governor of Ekiti state, has backed the controversial suspension of Umar Damagum as the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). 

BACKGROUND

On Saturday, the PDP NWC led by Damagum suspended Samuel Anyanwu, the national secretary; Kamaldeen Ajibade, national legal adviser; Okechukwu Osuoha, deputy legal adviser; and Umaru Bature, national organising secretary, over alleged anti-party activities.

Debo Ologunagba, PDP spokesperson, who announced the suspension during a press conference, said the decision followed an emergency meeting of the NWC in Abuja.

Hours later, Anyanwu’s faction, which has the backing of Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), suspended Damagum, Ologunagba, Taofeek Arapaja, deputy national vice-chairman (south); Daniel Woyenguikoro, national financial secretary; Sulaiman Kadade, national youth leader; and Setonji Koshoedo, deputy national secretary.

Anyanwu said Mohammed Abdulrahman, the national vice-chairman (north-central), has been appointed acting national chairman.

‘THERE’S NO HOPE FOR PDP’

Speaking on Sunday in Ado Ekiti, the capital of Ekiti, Fayose described the PDP as a hopeless party on the verge of extinction.

“There is no hope of PDP coming back for now. Even the captains of our boats are jumping ship. They are jumping from one bed to another. So who is going to hold the party together? PDP has reasonably gone into extinction, unfortunately,” he said.

“The Damagum-led national working committee are undertakers. They have come to bury the party. It will interest you that they are going in less than one month or two; they are still suspending and counter-suspending.

“But you never can tell. You can find a doctor in Abdulrahman who is willing to turn the tables around for the party. But right now, the party is in a comatose state. If someone comes to the rescue and decides to save the party, as in the case of Abdulrahman, we will give him a chance. That’s why I said earlier that he should go and rescue this party.

“We are happy we have a new acting national chairman, Abdulrahman, who emerged yesterday (Saturday) as a result of the confidence reposed in him after the suspension of the former chairman.”

Fayose said Damagum will not return as national chairman, adding that he will face the fate of his predecessor, Iyorchia Ayu, who was suspended and eventually sacked by the court.

“You will recall this is the same way PDP former chairman, Iyorchia Ayu’s crisis started. Damagun will go the way of Ayu, I can assure you. His last service to the party was before the suspension. Damagun is not going to return as chairman to that office,” he said.

“In the first place, he (Damagum) was not supposed to be the chairman. He only represented an interregnum, but manipulated the process to become the chairman and caused so much confusion. He caused so much confusion everywhere. It shows that the man, Damagum, has been incompetent; he does not have what it takes to operate in that office and act in that capacity.”

Fayose asked Abdulrahman to restore unity to the party.