By; JACOB ONJEWU DICKSON
Ahead of the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) slated for Thursday, April 18, 2024, in Abuja, groups have advised the party to stop the former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike from attending.
The PDP Northern Professionals Movement and PDP Elders Support Group in a joint statement after a meeting with other stakeholders from the party from 22 States in Kaduna, reminded those calling for the removal of Usman Iliya Damagum as acting chairman of the party that the case of the suspended Chairman, Iyorcha Ayu is still in court.
They added that Damagum as Deputy Chairman (North) came in on acting capacity and until the court determines Ayu’s matter or Ayu resigns, Damagum remains in that capacity.
Leaders of the two groups, Mr. Isaac Samuel and Dr. Muazzam Lawal Sadauki in that joint statement, described the ongoing attacks on the personality of Damagum and the National Working Committee (NWC) of PDP by some youths in the social media as “unfortunate”.
The groups however expressed confidence in the leadership of the party saying despite the post-2023 general election abandonment by Atiku and Wike, the party is standing strong.
“Despite all the sacrifices made by the NWC of the party during and after the 2023 general elections and subsequent activities of the party in the country, some restless and uncultured people were paid to write and rubbish our leaders.
“These are coming up because of the interest of some individuals who are eager to control the soul of our party unconstitutionally. These include people who have abandoned the party several times after the general elections.
“The task before the party leaders now is to identify the grey areas with the intention to address such and then return the desired peace and unity to the PDP.
“We disagree with any plans to change the leadership of the party at the moment as our party is in dire need of cohesion to stabilize itself from unforeseen challenges.
“We are calling on the BoT and PDP Governors Forum to act decisively along with the NWC of the party to sanction or suspend both Atiku Abubakar and Nyesom Wike from attending any activities of the party to restore sanity and political stability in the party.
“The duo of Atiku and Wike are being accused of supporting some groups of people that are habitually and desperately castigating and insulting the party’s leadership through different platforms for their political interests thereby threatening the unity and survival of our great party.
“While we call for restraint from all other loyal and disciplined members of the PDP family; strict measures should be put in place by the NWC of the party against those who actively supported or played major roles in the defeat of our candidates in the past general elections”, the statement read in part.
