The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has vowed to put an end to the lingering crisis in the party.
The Chairman of the PDP National Reconciliation Committee, Senator Olagunsoye Oyinlola, stated this during a meeting with the three PDP governors from the North East sub-region in Bauchi on Thursday.
The meeting brought together Senator Oyinlola and the governors of Bauchi, Adamawa and Taraba states.
Oyinlola emphasised the importance of reaching out to aggrieved party members and resolving internal conflicts to re-establish a formidable force that could ensure the PDP’s return to power.
While commending the three PDP governors for their efforts in strengthening the party, Senator Oyinlola urged them “to deepen the reconciliation process down to all stakeholders for sustainable growth and development.
“The main purpose of the committee is to reconcile and reunite party members, thereby positioning the PDP for victory in the next general elections.”
Speaking on behalf of the three PDP governors, Adamawa State Governor, Umaru Fintiri, described the activities of the committee as timely and expressed confidence that the party would bounce back to power.
He also criticised the APC-led Federal Government for inflicting hardship on Nigerians through its economic policies.
“Addressing the challenges facing the party, with the ultimate goal of regaining power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027 is timely, “Fintiri noted.
The Special Assistant to Rivers State Governor on Electronic Media, Jerry Omatsogunwa, said it was time the PDP kicked out its acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, was shown the way out.
Omatsogunwa said the party ought to obey the law, saying what happened at the party’s national secretariat on Wednesday was shameful.
He said this while speaking to one of our correspondents on the telephone on Thursday, saying disregard for the law was at the centre of the crisis in the main opposing party in the country.
Omatsogunwa also said Samuel Anyanwu, one of those laying claim to the National Secretary of the party, had no right to return after he left to contest for an elective position.
The media aide to Governor Siminalayi Fubara said since Damagum’s emergence as acting National Chairman, the PDP was losing more states.
He said, “For me the way forward is that the party is a creation of law or the constitution and if the law has said this person you have gone out to contest election and you don’t have any right to come back.
“I think that the law should be obeyed to the letter. It is this idea of self-help thinking that you can do something on your own in disregard for the law. That is where the problem comes in.”
He added, “The PDP as a law abiding party ought to have obeyed the court judgment that said Anyanwu is no longer the party secretary. Because if Anyanwu had gone to another High Court when the Appeal Court that is higher than the High Court had given judgment, I think that is an aberration.
“So if you have appealed at the Supreme Court and you need to do the needful, do it. Then at the end of the day if it favours you fine you come back. If it doesn’t favour you, you have lost at the Federal High Court, you have lost at the Appeal. So why still grandstanding?
“For peace to reign, I think Anyanwu needs to be kicked out so that peace can reign. But I also think that Damagun, who is the acting Chairman, needs to be thrown overboard like the Biblical Jonah because of too much trouble.
“You can be a witness that since he came in even some states that are ruled by the PDP have lost it. Same thing that happened to Oshiomhole and at a time Oshiomhole was kicked out of the APC.
“I think the PDP needs to do that as a way forward so that it can become the formidable opposition that it ought to be.”
