Days ahead of the scheduled People’s Democratic Party (PDP) National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting set for April 18, 2024, a new crisis is emerging within the party. This comes as doubts linger over the NEC’s ability to take decisive actions against members engaging in anti-party activities.
Just recently, a coalition of PDP federal lawmakers, led by Hon Ikenga UgoChinyere, called for the resignation of the party’s acting national chairman, Umar Iliya Damagun, citing alleged anti-party activities. They criticized the party leadership’s silence on the political situation in Rivers State and accused Damagun of orchestrating changes in local government leadership by appointing APC members as caretaker committee members of the PDP in some states.
According to the lawmakers, Damagun’s leadership has resulted in the PDP’s decline, electoral losses, and legal challenges. They expressed concern that Damagun’s actions were undermining the party’s integrity and effectiveness as an opposition force.
The ongoing internal strife within the PDP reflects broader challenges the party has faced since losing the 2015 general elections and experiencing further setbacks in the 2023 elections. There are growing concerns over how the party will address members engaging in activities contrary to its interests, both before and after elections.
While some voices within the party advocate for Damagun’s resignation to pave the way for new leadership capable of revitalizing the party, others caution against rash actions and stress the need for concrete evidence to support allegations of anti-party activities. The upcoming NEC meeting is expected to be crucial in addressing these issues and determining the party’s future trajectory.