Group rallies support for acting PDP Chairman

Group rallies support for acting PDP Chairman

By Emmanuel Oloniruha

The Concerned PDP League (CPDPL), a group, has called for support for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) acting National Chairman, Alhaji Umar Damagum, to enable him to reposition the party as a vibrant opposition party.

Mr Daboikiabo Warmate, the spokesperson for the group, said this after solidarity rally at the PDP national secretariat in support of Damagum in Abuja on Monday.

Warmate said that for the PDP to effectively play its role as the main opposition party, there was need for stakeholders to support Damagum to continue to pilot the affairs of the party.

He said that the acting national chairman, had performed beyond expectations and deserved to be supported to remain in office and unite the party.

He faulted a protest by a splinter group asking for the removal of Damagum as the acting PDP chairman, saying that the group was not well informed about the achievements of the acting chairman.

Warmate said that it was on record that the PDP won the 2023 presidential election in Yobe, which was the first time in the history of the party, adding that he had also been able to manage the party’s finances prudently.

He said that investigation by the group revealed that out of over N11 billion generated by PDP during the 2023 general election, only N4 million was inherited by Damagum when he took over as the party acting national chairman.

“Out of the N400 million, N300 million was garnished. N100 million from March till date. How was the party able to pay staff salary? Are you going to tell the press that one as national chairman, you cannot come and do that,” he said.

He also commended Damagum for resolving the dispute on the choice of the national secretary of the party.

“That’s why we say we want to educate the party faithful, that people are coming here to say things that are not true about the acting national chairman. Damagum has done a lot.

“Look at the way he handle the national secretary issue. If Damagum were to pick the person that the South East brought, there would have been crisis, because the other interested party also brought a court order.

“He said let the acting deputy national secretary act pending the resolution of the crisis. That is the way it should be, and that is why we have deputies,” he said.

Warmate urged all PDP members having matters pending in court to withdraw them for internal resolution to be adopted.

“This is the first national chairman that we have come up to support and what is our reason? Because when the leaders and the stakeholders met in Bauchi State, Damagum said let bygone be bygone.

“In order word, let the party leaders come together. It is only when we come together we can give Nigerians the desired opposition that they will be yarning for.

“If we don’t have a united PDP, Nigeria will slide into one party and we don’t want that,” Warmate said.