A spokesperson for Nigeria’s Opposition Coalition lawmakers, Ikenga Ugochinyere has alleged that there is a plan by some Peoples DemocraticParty (PDP) governors and National Working Committee, NWC to keep the acting Chairman, Umar Damagun in office till 2027 to weaken the party.
Ugochinyere made the allegations on Sunday evening during a live world press conference in Akokwa, Imo state.
He said the unnamed governors and NWC members have planted 24 PDP state chairmen that will endorse President Tinubu before 2027 and keep Damagun in office till after the election.
Ugochinyere, who represents Ideato federal constituency of Imo state in the House of Representatives described them as impostors and vowed that their plan won’t work as a structure is being put in place to ensure it doesn’t happen.
He said, “Today our nation is facing different challenges both economic and political. But there’s something that’s missing in all these problems and that’s a vibrant and responsive and responsible opposition.
“Today we have a political party People’s Democratic Party, PDP that’s supposed to lead the opposition, but what do you have we have political charlatans hijacking the heartbeat of the opposition party. And turning it into an errand platform for the ruling party.
“Some of you called me yesterday when the meeting the Governors had in Jos and said it’s all over for the PDP. It’s very shameful that a party that was founded in 1998 by the great efforts of our founding fathers. The likes of Alex Ekwueme, Jerry Gana, Atiku Abubakar, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and so many others came together and ended 16 yrs of military rule.
“That political party is what these guys are playing Akara with. It’s what imposters called Umar Damagun and Samuel Anyanwu are now messing up with and forgetting the sacred expectations of the Nigerian people. A vibrant opposition.
“Today I want to inform the whole of Nigeria that they have perfected a plan to ensure that the NEC meeting to choose a chairman from North Central where the position is originally supposed to come from us is not possible.
“They want Umar Damagun …to continue to parade as the National Chairman and stay in office till 2027 so they can foist on us a weakling that will be a presidential candidate. We have impostors among us, who have no honour and decency. They have decided to see the political party. The ruling party will be laughing at them now that they want to sabotage their own party.
“First they said there was a Sallah holiday and they shifted it, since last year they kept on shifting the NEC meeting. Till now no NEC meeting they keep on giving different excuses.
“The national leaders of PDP are frolicking with APC leaders, going to London having meetings with APC leadership. If the founding fathers of this party are still alive and are seeing what I’m seeing they will be crying. I will mention the names of these PDP governors frolicking with APC. They think that by being a weakling some of them will be allowed to control their state”.
Ugochinyere also vowed that the alleged plot by the Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike to seize Rivers State allocation, and impeach Governor Siminalayi Fubara will fail, adding that the governor will complete his tenure and be reelected.
Ugochinyere said, “If you want to join APC join APC. But these clowns are running around just to destroy our party. What did we do to them? Should we bury our courts because of Wike?
“You campaigned and Atiku defeated you, and you’ve vowed to destroy the party. Ikpeazu lost in the Senate, Ortom lost, Ugwuanyi lost but today they are so proud to destroy what our founding fathers did.
“Today anybody that doesn’t agree with him he’s fighting him. There will be an end to this nonsense. Rivers state is an integral part of the party and Wike is aiming for the resources of rivers. We won’t let it happen. He has fought with everyone.
“I advise President Bola Tinubu to be very careful when dealing with him. Because when things go wrong between you two, he will tell us your story. You supported someone to be governor, you produced all the commissioners, all House of Assembly members, and local government chairmen.
“The governor didn’t have any input. He produced the party structure. Was there any issue? It’s only a man who’s at war with his inner self that can have a problem with Siminalayi Fubara”.
