Umar Damagum, the acting chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has acknowledged that a large number of his party’s members participated in anti-party activities during the 2023 election on various levels. Under his direction, the National Working Committee (NWC) will neither expel or suspend any disloyal members.
In his address to the PDP Mobilizers Group in Abuja, Damagum reportedly stated that the NWC had approved the formation of a committee tasked with reviewing and resolving grievances among all members.
This is in response to a request made by several PDP stakeholders for Damagum to censure Nyesom Wike, the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and numerous other individuals for allegedly engaging in anti-party actions during the recently concluded general elections.
However, Damagum said the party was more interested in reconciliation and bringing more people into the party than sanctioning anyone for alleged anti-party activities, which may destroy the party because many were involved.
Speaking about the party’s defeat in the 2023 presidential election, the chairman described it as painful, adding that the NWC will review the election, including the 2015 and 2019 elections.
He said, “They are always telling you these people are not doing the right thing. But when you are in a position of leadership, you are bound by a set of rules, and these rules, even though they are itching you, you don’t apply them; not because of anything, but so that you don’t destroy the house.
I have been seeing the agitations within our platforms saying the NWC was not doing this or doing that. This is an opportunity for me to explain.
Somebody has said sometimes, when you are not knowledgeable about certain things, and you go on saying about your thinking, it will always injure the sensibility of others to understand you.
I am very proud to say that this party was started by me as a driver. Today, I am the acting national chairman by the grace of God. I have never calculated that I will be given this title. I believe in this party, I believe that this party is the best in this country.
The NWC has already come up and approved a 2023 election review and reconciliation committee. They will go and investigate. We’ll give them the mandate to form subcommittees. However, there is only one national committee that will review the 2023 election and also review from 2015 to 2019. This is so that at the end of the day when they bring the reports, we will meet and take decisions.
If I said we should start suspension, I will end up suspending many people because they were involved in anti-party activities. So, please bear with us. We intend to keep this party together and to manage it. This is my mandate.
When a substantive chairman comes, he can decide to suspend or dismiss anybody. But myself as somebody who loves this party, somebody who started this party, I think we need even those from the other side to come back and join.”
