The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has passed a vote of confidence on the party’s Acting National Chairman, Amb. Umar Iliya Damagum.
National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Debo Ologunagba disclosed this in a statement.
The NWC’s move comes amid PDP North Central stakeholders’ clamour for an acting chairman to emerge from their region as originally designed by the party.
There have been agitations for Damagum, who hails from Yobe State (North East), to resign as acting chairman of PDP to pave the way for a national chairman from the North Central zone as originally planned by the party.
The recent call for Damagum’s resignation was made by opposition lawmakers in the House of Representatives led by the member representing Ideato Federal Constituency in Imo State, Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere, who accused Damagum of working for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and for failing to call the statutory quarterly NEC meeting since he replaced Senator Iyorchia Ayu as the PDP acting national chairman last year.
The agitation for Damagum’s resignation draws from a raging battle for the soul of the PDP between camps led by the party’s presidential candidate in 2023 Atiku Abubakar and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister Nyesom Wike.
According to Ologunagba, the decision of the NWC came at the end of its 584th meeting at the PDP National Secretariat in Abuja on Tuesday, April 16.
The moves comes as the party’s highest decision-making body, the National Executive Committee (NEC) prepares to hold a meeting on Thursday, April 18, that has been dubbed make-or-mar for the party.
Ologunagba said the decision is in commendation of the efforts and commitment of the Acting National Chairman to stabilise and reposition the PDP as the main opposition party in Nigeria.
The party spokesman said the Deputy National Chairman (South), Amb. Taofeek Arapaja presided over the motion for vote of confidence on the Acting National Chairman which was moved by the National Vice Chairman (South East), Chief Ali Odefa and seconded by the National Treasurer, Hon. Yayari Mohammed.
“The NWC assures of its commitment in ensuring the continued stability, growth and success of our great Party at all time,” he said.