The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stakeholders are not happy with the role the acting National Chairman Ambassador Umar Damagum, is playing in the crisis rocking the party.
They accused the acting National Chairman of playing double standard, arguing that “he claims to be working with the majority (members of the National Working Committee (NWC) but Anyanwu has a hold on him.”
PDP NWC has been factionalised with the majority insisting that the National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu should vacate office for Sunday Ude-Okoye, who was nominated by South East caucus, to serve out the tenure.
But PDP governors, after their meeting in Ibadan, Oyo State on April 14, appointed the Deputy National Secretary, Sotonji Koshoedo as acting National Secretary pending the ratification of Ude-Okoye’s nomination.
This decision was adopted by the NWC at its meeting held three weeks ago.
A former NWC member, who spoke on condition of anonymity, wondered why Damagum who presided over the NWC meeting where Koshoedo was adopted as acting National Secretary should sign a letter to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with Anyanwu, for the nomination of PDP candidate for the November 8 Anambra State governorship election.
Damagum had earlier signed a letter with Koshoedo for the same purpose.
The source blamed Damagum for the confusion this has generated, disclosing that “INEC acknowledged and minuted the letter he signed with Koshoedo to the appropriate authorities for action.
Anyanwu’s letter was only acknowledged but was not minuted.
“Koshoedo was properly nominated. So it is Damagum that is causing the confusion; he is playing double standard.”
The source dismissed the threat by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, that he will sue the party if Anyanwu was not involved in the May 27 National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting.
According to him, the Supreme Court has already decided that political parties are managers of their affairs.
“We are not bothered because we are following the Supreme Court judgement,” he added.
He assured that the NEC meeting will hold “because it has reached a stage where no one will fear it can be postponed.
“The NWC has adopted the Governor’s Forum proposal and it has not reversed itself.
“The meeting held last Sunday by the governors and former governors maintained that the NEC meeting is going to hold on May 27.
“So there is no doubt the meeting will hold.”
The source said there is no law mandating the party to notify INEC before holding its NEC meeting.
“The only meeting parties are mandated to notify INEC is when they are holding congresses and conventions, and not NEC meeting,” he explained.
