- As caucus fails to pass confidence vote on party chairman
From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The Group of 60 Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) members of the House of Representatives, on Tuesday, insisted on the sack of the acting national chairman of the party, Umar Damagum.
This is as the PDP caucus in the House to pass a vote of confidence on Damagum, at its meeting at the National Assembly complex.
The caucus meeting, which was summoned by the minority leader, Kingsley Chinda, ahead of the National Executive Committee ( NEC) meeting of the opposition party, was allegedly aimed at passing a vote of confidence on the embattled PDP leader.
However, Daily Sun reliably gathered that the plan vote of confidence did not sail through as a result of opposition by the G-60 members, who last week called for Damagum’s resignation or sack by the PDP NEC.
The spokesman of the opposition coalition, Ikenga Ugochinyere, in a statement at the end of the meeting, said the PDP needs a total overhaul. He added that Damagum must quit for a national chairman from the North Central to take over.
“We are glad that the plan of the pro- Wike group supporting Damagun fall 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 disheartening. But we won’t fold our hands and let gat happen.
“We call for immediate resignation of Umar Iliya Damagum as Ag National Chairman of PDP for anti-party activities and allow North central 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.
“The NEC of the Party should ensure that the list of party Caretaker Committees in Rivers State and all other 10 states tampered by Damagum and his APC friends are reversed and announced as originally agreed, that is by extension of the tenures of the outgoing leadership.
” Any tampering in any state will be resisted and not acceptable. They should also ensure that disciplinary action and punishment are meted out on FCT minister Wike for anti party activities, ” he stated.