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Damagum survives, as party’s NEC commends NWC
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Leadership change to wait till August -Spokesman
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Chairmanship not do-or-die for me -Damagum
By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja
The highly hyped National Executive Committee, NEC, meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, ended on Thursday in Abuja with commendation, rather than removal, coming the way of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party led by Ambassador Umar Damagum and other party organs.
With the development, Damagum, the acting National Chairman of the PDP, has survived the much touted planned removal from office.
Analysts have however described the outcome of the meeting as a victory for former Governor of Rivers State and Minister of Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Mr Nyesom Wike.
The issue of leadership change was not even listed among the eleven-point agenda of yesterday’s NEC meeting.
The 98th NEC meeting of the PDP, which was held under tight security, with the FCT Commissioner of Police, Mr Benneth Igwe personality supervising the security arrangement, was attended by former Vice President and presidential candidate of the PDP in the last election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, another former Vice President, Architect Nanadi Sambo, Minister of FCT, Mr Wike, Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Senator Bala Mohammed, serving and past Governors of PDP as well as former Ministers of the party, some Senators and House of Representatives’ members among others.
The PDP NEC is made up of 353 members.
The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Hon Debo Ologunagba told journalists after the meeting that the party’s emphasis is on the need for reconciliation and stability for now.
*Our party emphasizes the need for reconciliation and stability within the party at this time. Therefore, the issue of the National Chairman, Damagum, has been deferred to the next NEC meeting, which is tentatively scheduled for August 15, 2024”, Ologunagba said.
The NEC, in a communique issued at the end its meeting that lasted for about three hours, commended the efforts of the National Working Committee in its effort towards rebranding the Party, including the new look PDP Logo, which is widely accepted by Party members and Nigerians in general.
The NEC charged all Party members to continue to work together for the success of the PDP for the benefit of Nigerians and sustenance of Democracy in our country.
The communique issued at the end of the meeting and signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Hon Debo Ologunagba reads, “The National Executive Committee (NEC) of our great Party, at its 98th meeting today, Thursday, April 18, 2024, thoroughly assessed the State of affairs of the Nation and the Party and resolved as follows:
*NEC commends all the Organs of the Party for their collective resilience, steadfastness and commitment towards the unity, stability and sustenance of our great Party despite dauting challenges.
*NEC also commends members of the PDP, with particular reference to the youths and women for their courage in resisting the antics of the divisive and anti-people All Progressives Congress (APC), especially, its desperation to emasculate the opposition and foist a one-Party State on our nation.
*NEC expresses concern over the ill-implemented policies of the insensitive APC administration, leading to worsening insecurity, harrowing economic hardship, soaring unemployment rate, high cost of food and other necessities of life with pervading misery and despondency across the country.
*NEC expresses serious apprehensions over the spate of acts of terrorism and violence including the escalated cases of mindless killings, mass abduction of innocent Nigerians and marauding of communities in various parts of the country.
*NEC condemns the insensitivity, nonchalance, incompetence and arrogance in failure of the APC administration which continues to conduct itself in a manner that shows that it has no iota of interest or commitment towards the wellbeing of Nigerians.
*NEC also condemns the creeping totalitarianism and tendencies towards a One-Party State which is inimical to the peace, stability and corporate existence of our nation as well as the development of Democracy and good governance in the country.
*NEC, after due consideration demands that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should urgently convene a special National Security Council meeting to proffer a holistic solution and measures to curb the disturbing insecurity with its attendant negative consequences on our national life.
*NEC also demands that President Tinubu should immediately rejig his Economic Team to bring in persons of proven integrity and competence without bias and vested interest to assist in repositioning the economy.
*NEC further demands that the Federal Government should review all policies and programmes which are stifling the economy with suffocating effect on the lives of citizens; including the increase in price of fuel without cushioning measures, hike in electricity tariff, increased taxation and implementation of adverse fiscal policies.
*NEC charges all Organs, leaders, critical stakeholders and indeed all members of the PDP to close ranks, put aside every personal or group interests and work together in the overall effort to reposition and return the PDP to power at the center in the interest of the Nigerian people.
*Consequently, NEC received and approved the Timetable for Party Congresses across the country.
*NEC also approved the Reconstitution of the Party Disciplinary and Reconciliation Committees to further ensure the stability of the Party.
*Similarly, NEC approved the extension of the life of the Party Constitution Amendment Committee to allow it to receive new amendment proposals for inclusion in its deliberation and final report for consideration by NEC.
*NEC commended the efforts of the National Working Committee in its effort towards rebranding the Party including the new look PDP Logo which is widely accepted by Party members and Nigerians in general.
*NEC charges all Party members to continue to work together for the success of the PDP for the benefit of Nigerians and sustenance of Democracy in our country.
Damagum, while answering questions from Journalists on how he survived being removed from office, said, “This is not a matter of life and death. I am still an elected member of this NEC. Even if I revert to Deputy National Chairman, I am still a member of NWC.
“The issue of surviving or not does not emerge”, he said
Speaking in the same vein, Senator Bala Mohammed said, “You can see there was no dissension and rancour. It was planned that the party will have an implosion. PDP is more than that, we have grown beyond all these idiosyncrasies
“This party is a united party, that is guided by experience and constitutionality. There were a lot of permutations and mischievous thinking outside there. But we looked at all the issues and we worked along our guidelines and constitution.
“There is no problem or dissension and problem among members”, he said.
On the issue of electing a new Chairman from the North Central geo-political zone to complete the tenure of Dr Iyorchia Ayu, Bala Mohammed said, “In the next two months, we will see a lot of activities. Leadership is a responsibility. We said in September we would have come out from our congresses.
“We will look at the issue of leadership and look at the issue of our constitution where it will be. And we will do it with no rancour”, he explained.
