The meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Caucus in the House of Representatives ended with the lawmakers failing to reach an agreement.
News About Nigeria reports that the meeting took place on Tuesday at the House Committee Room 301 in the National Assembly Complex, Abuja.
This meeting was in preparation for Thursday’s National Executive Committee (NEC) session of the party.
Reports reveal that Hon. Kingsley Chinda, leader of the Caucus and House minority leader, called for the meeting.
Chinda is known to be a supporter of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
The lawmakers present were split between those backing the party’s acting national chairman, Umar Damagun, and those opposing his tenure.
The primary goal of the pre-NEC gathering was to give a vote of confidence in Damagum by lawmakers aligned with Wike, but it faced opposition.
A lawmaker of the opposition coalition speaking on the outcome of the meeting said, “We are glad that the plan of the pro-Wike group supporting Damagun fell like a pack of cards as we refused all entreaties to perpetuate illegality and stoking of crisis in the party. Our position remains that Damagun must go for someone from North-central to take over and complete Ayu’s tenure.
“Our party needs total overhaul and reformation. We currently have in the PDP a national leadership that is in bed with the APC and is working extremely hard to hand over the party to the APC. This is quite shameful and disheartening. But we won’t fold our hands and let that happen.
“We are aside other demands insisting on 100 percent formation of a caretaker PDP executive list at all levels without any tampering or inclusion of new names outside the earlier resolution that members of the expiring expos should act as caretaker for 3 months pending the conduct of the substantive election. Our party will not be overtaken by APC, we are here to serve the Nigerian people not to the whims and caprices of some selfish politicians.”
Recall that last week, over 60 lawmakers, led by Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere, insisted on Damagun’s resignation and proposed a replacement from the north-central zone.
They also demanded the expulsion of Wike and others involved in anti-party activities.
Wike, a former Rivers State governor, is a member of the PDP.
However, during the 2023 election, he backed Bola Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress candidate, who emerged victorious.
Wike led the G5, a coalition of former PDP governors unhappy with the PDP’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and the party’s leadership.
The G5 was formed after Atiku won the PDP presidential primary, defeating Wike and others.
Following his victory, Tinubu appointed Wike as the FCT Minister, seen as a token of appreciation for Wike’s support during the election.
