PUNCH
The rivalry between the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesome Wike, has become heightened ahead of the 98th National Executive Committee meeting of the party.
One of the major issues likely to take centre stage at the NEC meeting scheduled for Thursday, April 18, is the question of whether the party’s acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, should remain in office or be replaced.
There have been calls to remove Damagum and choose a substantive Chairman.
Damagum, formerly PDP National Deputy Chairman (North), became the party’s acting National Chairman following the suspension of the party’s National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, by the court in March last year.
The court action leading to Ayu’s suspension was filed by a PDP member, Terhide Utaan, who based his request on an earlier vote of no confidence passed in Ayu by the executives of his ward, Igyorov ward, Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State.
Last week, 60 members of the House of Representatives demanded Damagum’s exit, adding that a substantive chairman should be picked from the North Central region.
Findings by The PUNCH revealed that a former governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam, and a former Deputy National Secretary of the PDP, Dr. Emmanuel Agbo, are pushing for the position of the PDP National Chairman.
The PUNCH gathered while Atiku’s camp is backing Suswam, the Wike’s camp, supported by some PDP governors, is pushing for Damagum to be confirmed as the substantive chairman to complete Ayu’s tenure.
