Former National Publicity Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Kola Ologbondiyan, has called on the party to adhere to the time-tested succession arrangement as provided for in Section 47 (6) of the PDP Constitution, 2017 (as amended).

Ologbondiyan, who spoke on Thursday when he hosted North Central youths in Abuja, noted that respect for the Constitution of the party remains the only pathway to fixing the issues in PDP and pave the way to fix Nigeria.

“Anything outside of this demand will end up an exercise in futility,” he stressed.

PDP has fixed its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on Thursday next week, but Ologbondiyan advised NEC members to look at the bigger picture and address the truth wherever it is required.

“We must tell those who have undertaken to either kill the PDP or render it comatose that the party is not a one-man organisation.

“The founders named it the Peoples Democratic Party. It is, therefore, owned by the people of Nigeria and not any individual, no matter how well placed in the society,” he said.

North Central has been agitating to be allowed to serve out the tenure of Dr. Iyorchia Ayu who as sacked as National Chairman in March 2023.

Ologbondiyan noted that the acting National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum, and his backers, should allow PDP to be fixed so that Nigeria can also be fixed.

According to him, Damagum must not be encouraged to disrespect the soul of the party as embodied in the various organs of the PDP.

He noted that the NEC of the party took a decision at its 98th meeting to consider the demand of the North Central at the 99th meeting scheduled last August, which was later postponed, alleging that several postponements by the National Working Committee (NWC) were an aberration and disrespect to the constitutional order of the party.

The former spokesperson advised party leaders of the party not to allow the November 28 NEC to be wished away like the previously scheduled dates and urged the stakeholders to prevail on Damagum to revert to his elected position of Deputy National Chairman (North) and save the party the consequences of lawlessness in the party.

“It is trite wisdom that as long as Damagum is being encouraged to continue to sit on the position of North Central, the concept of fixing the PDP will be mere lip servicing that can cause the party more harm”, he said.