A coalition of 60 lawmakers from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has issued a stern ultimatum, threatening to resign from the party unless the allegedly doctored list of Local Government Caretaker Committees in Rivers and 10 other states, skewed in favor of All Progressive Congress (APC) members, is invalidated.
They also demanded the resignation of Umar Damagun, the Acting Chairman of the PDP, advocating for a North Central individual to assume the interim chairmanship until a convention, as stipulated by the party’s constitution.
Accusing Damagun of colluding with the APC, the lawmakers claimed that the Caretaker Committee list for Rivers State was manipulated to favor former Governor Nyesom Wike and defectors from the Rivers House of Assembly to the APC.
Expressing their discontent, the lawmakers stressed their unwillingness to remain in a party influenced by another political entity.
Led by Imo Ugochinyere, a representative of Ideato Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, the group, operating under the banner of the ‘Opposition Lawmakers Coalition’, convened a press conference in Abuja on Monday.
Additionally, they alleged Damagun’s involvement in orchestrating a plot to impeach Rivers State Governor, Similayan Fubara.
To this end, the lawmakers demanded: “Immediate resignation of Umar Iliya Damagun as Ag. National Chairman of PDP for anti-party activities and allow North Central to produce the acting chairman as clearly stated in the PDP constitution or watch us reconsider our membership of the party in the months ahead if the right thing is not done.
“Or removal of Umar Iliya Damagun by the NEC of the party with further sanctions against him for his anti-party activities.”
The lawmakers further insisted that a credible party leader from the North Central be confirmed chairman of the party in line with the zoning formula as enshrined in the Constitution.
“Where these demands are not met, we, the Opposition Lawmakers Coalition from PDP in the National Assembly will be left with no other option but to suspend participating in the party activities and seek a new political relationship where decisions in that party will not be taken in the Secretariat of another political party.
“But this is the last of the last paths where every other reasonable effort at resolution fails,” they stated.
