Fubara’s camp wants Damagun kicked out as chairman, opposition govs converge on Asaba

Prominent leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party, including the National Working Committee and National Executive Committee members, have waded into the rift between the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, and the Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed.

While some called on both leaders to close ranks and rebuild the party ahead of the next election cycle in 2027, others argued that the rift between the two politicians was personal and as such, would have no impact on the fortunes of the party at the polls in two years’ time.

Last week, Wike through his media adviser, Lere Olayinka, chided the Bauchi governor for his opposition to the tax reform bills, which were transmitted to the National Assembly in the last quarter of 2024.

Returning the favour, the governor labelled the FCT minister a “transactional politician” whose habitual betrayal of his benefactors was well documented.

At Wednesday’s Board of Trustees meeting of the party in Abuja, the acting National Chairman of the party, Umar Damagum, and the BoT chairman, Adolphus Wabara, expressed disappointment at the multi-layered crises currently rocking the PDP and called on aggrieved members to sheathe their swords in the interest of the party.

Speaking exclusively with our reporter on Thursday, the National Organising Secretary of the party, Umar Bature, said the verbal war between the two leaders is personal and has nothing to do with the PDP.

When asked if the ongoing feud is capable of wrecking the boat of the PDP, Bature said, “I don’t think so. It is personal between them and has nothing to do with the party.”

Also speaking, a member of the party’s National Executive Council and Deputy National Youth Leader, Timothy Osadolor, blamed the ruling APC for the rift within the party ranks, stressing that the fear of the fate which awaits the ruling party largely informs its fixation on the PDP.

He, however, called on the two warring PDP chieftains to let go of their differences and rebuild the party for future challenges.

Osadolor said, “No other political party outside the PDP, has a chance to defeat the ruling APC. This is why the APC is interested in fueling the crisis in the PDP. As statesmen and leaders, we urge them (Wike and Bala) to close ranks if not for their interest but in the overall interest of Nigerians.

“The two men (Wike and Bala) are senior members of the PDP. It is not in the best interest of the younger generation for them to continue to publicly attack themselves the way they are doing but we need to look at the issues. The issues are political.

“Wike is a senior member of the PDP who has paid his dues and is still paying his dues. Gov Bala Mohammed is an elder statesman and chairman of the PDP Governors Forum. But this is not the time to apportion blames

“Being critical stakeholders and role models to many young ones, we must appeal to them to sheathe their words. For the interest of the PDP and Nigerians who believe in the party, they should close their ranks and help build a formidable party that will dislodge the APC in 2027.”

On claims by former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai urging the opposition to come together and give the APC a fight in 2027, Osadolor described the remark as encouraging, adding that the ex-governor was free to return to the party that first thrust him into national prominence.

He said, “We know that El-Rufai is used to verbosity at times. It was the PDP that exposed him to the national limelight. So, we are not particularly surprised that he is saying things seen by many as pro-PDP. What he said was not unexpected of him. If he wants to return to the PDP, he knows that the doors are wide open to him. He also knows that there is a seat waiting for him to come and sit on. Credible persons like El-Rufai will help not only to rebuild the PDP but also to rebuild the nation.

“He (El-Rufai) has shown time and again that with public office, he can deliver for the benefit of the people. He was able to showcase his worth because the PDP gave him the platform to do so. Since then, he has become a household name. It is only natural he comes back home,” he added.

Taking a different stand, another NEC member, Diran Odeyemi, disagreed with the notion that APC was responsible for the crisis in the PDP.

According to him, the indiscipline being witnessed in the party could have been avoided if sanctions were meted out against those who violated the PDP constitution by their actions in the past.

He said, “Only a bad workman blames his tools for a job badly done. We are the cause of our problems. We must stop blaming the APC for the crises in our party. Let me add that we know why these crises are lingering.

“To address these issues, we must admit that nobody is bigger than the PDP and nobody is above discipline. Anyone guilty of perpetrating anti-party activities should be sanctioned.”

Oyinlola meets govs

Meanwhile, the party vowed to put an end to the lingering crisis in the party.

The Chairman of the PDP National Reconciliation Committee, Senator Olagunsoye Oyinlola, stated this during a meeting with the three PDP governors from the North East sub-region in Bauchi on Thursday.

The meeting brought together Senator Oyinlola and the governors of Bauchi, Adamawa and Taraba states.

Oyinlola emphasised the importance of reaching out to aggrieved party members and resolving internal conflicts to re-establish a formidable force that could ensure the PDP’s return to power.

While commending the three PDP governors for their efforts in strengthening the party, Senator Oyinlola urged them “to deepen the reconciliation process down to all stakeholders for sustainable growth and development.

“The main purpose of the committee is to reconcile and reunite party members, thereby positioning the PDP for victory in the next general elections.”

Speaking on behalf of the three PDP governors, Adamawa State Governor, Umaru Fintiri, described the activities of the committee as timely and expressed confidence that the party would bounce back to power.

He also criticised the APC-led Federal Government for inflicting hardship on Nigerians through its economic policies.

“Addressing the challenges facing the party, with the ultimate goal of regaining power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027 is timely, “Fintiri noted.

The Special Assistant to Rivers State Governor on Electronic Media, Jerry Omatsogunwa, said it was time the PDP kicked out its acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, was shown the way out.

Omatsogunwa said the party ought to obey the law, saying what happened at the party’s national secretariat on Wednesday was shameful.

He said this while speaking to one of our correspondents on the telephone on Thursday, saying disregard for the law was at the centre of the crisis in the main opposing party in the country.

Omatsogunwa also said Samuel Anyanwu, one of those laying claim to the National Secretary of the party, had no right to return after he left to contest for an elective position.

The media aide to Governor Siminalayi Fubara said since Damagum’s emergence as acting National Chairman, the PDP was losing more states.

He said, “For me the way forward is that the party is a creation of law or the constitution and if the law has said this person you have gone out to contest election and you don’t have any right to come back.

“I think that the law should be obeyed to the letter. It is this idea of self-help thinking that you can do something on your own in disregard for the law. That is where the problem comes in.”

He added, “The PDP as a law abiding party ought to have obeyed the court judgment that said Anyanwu is no longer the party secretary. Because if Anyanwu had gone to another High Court when the Appeal Court that is higher than the High Court had given judgment, I think that is an aberration.

“So if you have appealed at the Supreme Court and you need to do the needful, do it. Then at the end of the day if it favours you fine you come back. If it doesn’t favour you, you have lost at the Federal High Court, you have lost at the Appeal. So why still grandstanding?

“For peace to reign, I think Anyanwu needs to be kicked out so that peace can reign. But I also think that Damagun, who is the acting Chairman, needs to be thrown overboard like the Biblical Jonah because of too much trouble.

“You can be a witness that since he came in even some states that are ruled by the PDP have lost it. Same thing that happened to Oshiomhole and at a time Oshiomhole was kicked out of the APC. 

The 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has slammed the former governor of Osun State, Bisi Akande, over his allegation that the 2020 #EndSARS protest across Nigeria was orchestrated by the Obi’s supporters, otherwise known as Obidients, to derail the ambition of the current President, Bola Tinubu.

Obi and the Obidient Movement described Akande’s narrative as an attempt to rewrite history, adding that it was insensitive to the memory of #EndSARS victims, particularly those who lost their lives.

The nationwide #EndSARS protest, which lasted between October 7 and 20, began with the demand for the disbandment of the notorious police wing called Special Anti-Robbery Squad but soon snowballed into a demand for good governance.

There were confrontations between protesters and security agents, particularly in Lagos State, where soldiers allegedly opened fire on defenceless protesters at the Lekki Tollgate.

In a recent podcast anchored by a popular broadcaster, Edmund Obilo, Akande claimed that the #EndSARS protest was orchestrated by Obidients to stop Tinubu’s presidential ambition.

According to him, the movement was well funded with foreign donations.

“The Obidients were behind the #EndSARS. It was manufactured in America and brought in just to stop him (Tinubu). I said the Obidients, I didn’t say Obi.

“They came from America to do the #EndSARS and later became a movement to form a party. They couldn’t form a party. It was well planned and organised with a lot of money from America,” the octogenarian asserted.

But in an interview with our correspondent on Thursday, Obi’s media aide, Umar Ibrahim, tackled Akande, describing his claims as misleading and insensitive to the people who died during the protest.

He said, “The allegations are not only misleading but also divisive. It is unfortunate Akande would suggest that the Obidient Movement was behind the #EndSARS protests, and even more astonishing that he would imply it was orchestrated to prevent a particular individual from becoming President.

“Well, let me be clear: the movement is a grassroots phenomenon that emerged organically, driven by the passion and dedication of Nigerians who are committed to creating a better future for our country. It’s a movement that transcends partisan politics and is focused on promoting good governance, accountability, and inclusive development.

“The #EndSARS protests, on the other hand, were a spontaneous response to the widespread discontent and frustration among Nigerian youth regarding issues of police brutality, corruption, and economic inequality. It’s a testament to the resilience and determination of our young people, who are demanding a more just and equitable society.

“To conflate these two distinct phenomena is not only inaccurate but also unfair to the millions of Nigerians who are genuinely committed to creating positive change. We urge former governor Akande to refrain from making unsubstantiated claims that can only serve to further polarise our society.”

Similarly, the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, Tanko Yunusa, described Akande’s narrative as an insult to the memory of all #EndSARS victims, particularly those who lost their lives.

He said, “The Obidient movement outright rejects the baseless and revisionist claim by former Governor Bisi Akande. His false narrative is not only an insult to the memory of the young Nigerians who lost their lives in the fight against police brutality but also a desperate attempt to rewrite history and shift blame for the government’s failures.

“#EndSARS was a decentralised, youth-led movement demanding an end to police brutality, extrajudicial killings, and systemic oppression in Nigeria. It was not about politics, nor was it about any single individual’s presidential ambition.

“Rather than engaging in revisionist propaganda, we urge Akande and his associates to focus on addressing the real issues facing Nigerians today — economic hardship, insecurity, unemployment, and bad governance. The people are suffering, and no amount of misinformation or historical distortion will change that reality.”

The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Olayemi Cardoso, has said that without the bank’s policy interventions, inflation would have surged to 42.81 per cent by December 2024.

He also projected that diaspora remittances would rise to N31.79tn when fourth-quarter figures for 2024 are released.

The apex bank’s boss further pledged to stick to orthodox monetary policies to tame inflation in 2025.

Cardoso spoke at the 2025 Monetary Policy Forum, which brought together ministers, heads of economic agencies, and private sector players.

He stated that counterfactual estimates suggest that without decisive policy interventions, inflation could have reached 42.81 per cent by December 2024.

He further noted that throughout 2024, the CBN implemented bold policy measures across six Monetary Policy Committee meetings, including raising the Monetary Policy Rate by 875 basis points to 27.50 per cent, increasing the Cash Reserve Ratio for Other Depository Corporations by 1,750 basis points to 50.00 per cent, and adjusting the asymmetric corridor around the MPR.

Cardoso said, “Counterfactual estimates suggest that without these decisive policy interventions, inflation could have reached 42.81 per cent by December 2024.

“Throughout 2024, the bank implemented several bold policy measures across six MPC meetings, including raising the Monetary Policy Rate by a cumulative 875 basis points to 27.50 per cent, increasing the Cash Reserve Ratio of Other Depository Corporations by 1,750 basis points to 50.00 per cent, and adjusting the asymmetric corridor around the MPR.”

Cardoso highlighted that the CBN implemented critical foreign exchange reforms to enhance market efficiency.

The unification of multiple exchange rate windows contributed to a 79.4 per cent rise in remittances via International Money Transfer Operators to $4.18bn in the first three quarters of 2024, up from $2.33bn in the same period in 2023.

Other major FX-related interventions included clearing a $7bn FX backlog, which restored market confidence and improved FX liquidity, lifting restrictions on 41 items previously banned from access to the official FX market since 2015, and introducing new minimum capital requirements for banks, effective March 2026, to enhance resilience and global competitiveness in the sector.

The apex bank also launched the WIFI initiative under the National Financial Inclusion Strategy, aimed at bridging the gender gap in financial access by empowering women with financial services, education, and digital tools.

Also, the Nigeria Foreign Exchange Code was introduced to ensure integrity, transparency, and efficiency in the FX market.

Cardoso described the code as a binding commitment by the financial sector to rebuild trust and boost confidence.

He said these reforms reflect the CBN’s commitment to creating an enabling environment for inclusive economic development, adding that achieving macroeconomic stability requires sustained vigilance and a proactive monetary policy stance.

On inflation, the CBN governor warned that managing disinflation amid persistent shocks would require strong policy coordination between fiscal and monetary authorities.

He stated that the focus must remain on price stability, the planned transition to an inflation-targeting framework, and strategies to restore purchasing power and ease economic hardship.

He expressed optimism that Nigeria had turned a corner and that disinflation was within reach but stressed the need for bold and coordinated policy measures to consolidate progress.

Cardoso noted that global capital flows to emerging markets could improve as advanced economies ease monetary policies.

However, he stressed that Nigeria’s ability to attract inflows would depend on investor confidence in domestic reforms, macroeconomic stability, and positive real returns on investment.

He reiterated that the CBN’s transition from unorthodox to orthodox monetary policies was aimed at restoring confidence, strengthening policy credibility, and prioritising price stability.

Encouragingly, he said, FX liquidity is improving, and the naira is gradually aligning with market fundamentals, creating a more predictable environment for production, exports, and essential imports

The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party is showing no sign of abating. Ahead of the 2027 election, the PDP will have itself to blame if party leaders currently engulfed in a battle of supremacy, fail to give peace a chance. PUNCH reports

Ever since it lost power at the centre in 2015, the Peoples Democratic Party has been struggling to regain the fame that once made it arguably the biggest political party in Africa. Shackled by the chains of its forging, the once-dominant party’s fortunes are at an all-time low, even as some political pundits now see the Labour Party as a more potent opposition to the ruling All Progressives Congress than the PDP.

Left with 13 states after the 2023 general election, the PDP in the 2024 off-season election, lost Edo to the APC and failed to wrest Ondo from the APC, despite the crisis occasioned in the party following the death of former Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu.

Earlier in the week, a former PDP member and erstwhile Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, had this to say about the once-dominant political platform which held sway at the centre from 1999 to 2015: “There are internal mercenaries in the PDP, hired and motivated to destroy the party.”

He then called on the opposition, with PDP in the forefront, to bury its differences and forge a common front to ward off the possible return of the military in the political governance of the country.

“We have to put aside our differences and create a broad platform that will do the driving of the military again, because we are almost there again,” he added.

Considering the crisis in the PDP Rivers State chapter featuring Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, on the one hand and the chaos in the NWC on the other, it is difficult, if not impossible, to fault the position of El-Rufai.

Only recently, PDP’s biggest financier in recent times, Wike, slammed the Bauchi State Governor, Mr Bala Mohammed, for his opposition to Umar Damagum-led National Working Committee of the party and the four tax bills transmitted to the National Assembly for consideration and passage by President Bola Tinubu.

Wike, who remains a critical stakeholder in the PDP despite accepting to serve in the APC-led government, is believed by many as the reason the moves to replace the party’s acting National Chairman, Damagum, have become a mere dream.

The minister’s decision to publicly reprimand Governor Mohammed over the tax bills and ignore the Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, was both political and personal. Being members of the same PDP, analysts argue that Wike could have privately engaged with Bala, rather than taking him to the cleaners in a statement issued by his media adviser, Mr Lere Olayinka.

In return, the Bauchi State governor described Wike as “A transactional politician whose habitual betrayal of his past benefactors is well documented,” stressing that “While Wike accuses others of insincerity, he has seamlessly transitioned from being a self-proclaimed PDP stalwart to an ardent supporter of the APC government. He now advocates the re-election of the same APC administration in 2027, all while continuing to claim membership in the PDP. This chameleonic behaviour raises serious questions about Wike’s credibility and moral compass.

“Nigerians are not deceived by Wike’s antics. They see a man willing to undermine his party for personal gain, a man whose loyalty shifts as quickly as his alliances. By contrast, Senator Bala Mohammed’s opposition to the tax reform bills reflects a principled stand aimed at ensuring inclusive governance and accountability. His constructive interventions have already led to significant adjustments in the reform process, underscoring the importance of meaningful dialogue over hollow rhetoric.”

Wike’s attack on Bala Mohammed, if not resolved, will only make the PDP weaker as skeletal preparations for the 2027 election cycle begin next year.

The dust raised by the Wike-Bala rift was yet to settle when, on Wednesday, another ugly incident played out at the PDP national secretariat in Abuja,

the nation’s seat of power.

At the gathering of the party’s Board of Trustees members, two party chieftains, both laying claims to the national secretary of the party, Samuel Anyanwu and Sunday Ude-Okoye, took their seats, an indication that upheaval was in the offing.

Although, Ude-Okoye, a former National Youth Leader of the party, did not have the privilege of sitting closer to Damagum in the order of ranking of the National Working Committee members; his presence alone fuelled the wrath of Anyanwu’s loyalists who wasted no time to push him out of the NEC hall, venue of the BoT meeting.

Ude-Okoye, who ran out of the secretariat, could be heard instructing young men dressed in black apparel to make their way into the BoT meeting; a wish that failed to materialise, following the quick intervention of security agents who were on hand to maintain law and order.

The trouble with the exalted seat of the PDP National Secretary started when Anyanwu while serving in the office, declared his intention to vie for the Imo State governorship ticket on the platform of the party.

While the declaration was a constitutional entitlement, Anyanwu failed to resign his position, thus triggering litigations from opposing camps within the party.

A lawsuit was subsequently filed, challenging Anyanwu’s continuous claim to the office of the National Secretary, having left to contest the governorship election which he lost to Governor Hope Uzodimma.

The Enugu High Court ruled in favour of this argument, declaring the office vacant and recognising Ude-Okoye as the substantive National Secretary.

Not one to quit without fighting, Anyanwu ran to the Court of Appeal, arguing that holding a PDP governorship ticket was not enough to make him lose his position as a member of the party’s NWC.

In its ruling, Justice Ridwan Abdullahi of the Appellate Court upheld the High Court’s decision affirming Okoye’s position and describing Anyanwu’s appeal as lacking merit.

As argued by Damagum, the crisis threatening the PDP today is perhaps the creation of its members; men and to a lesser extent, women who rode on its wings to power in the good days of yore.

Addressing the BoT members at the meeting, Damagum warned party leaders of the dangers of prioritising individual ambitions against those of the collective interest of the PDP, reminding them not to forget that only the party has what it takes to bail Nigerians out of the economic hardship brought on them by the President Bola Tinubu-led government.

Damagum said, “There is a crisis within the NWC. It is normal. Unfortunately, I want to say this with a high sense of responsibility. Most of these crises that you see today within the NWC are propelled by our leaders who are supposed to unite us.

“It is very unfortunate. I will say it the way it is. We all know the workings of the NWC. Some of you here have been members of the NWC. I’m sitting down here as the chairman only to see my members called by certain leaders to visit certain places without even my knowledge.

“I want to use this opportunity to caution us and our leaders. You may have ambition but you don’t ride on a dead horse to reach your destination. If you create a crisis simply to further your ambition, you may get what you want but your dream will not be realised because you have injured the horse you are going to ride to your destination.”

To drive home his argument, Damagum urged the BoT members to carry out a self-introspection, noting that some of them also share in the blame.

“As the conscience of this party, some of us are also complicit. We should look inward, and search our conscience. This party is dear to all of us. It is the only thing we have.

“The hope of Nigerians today is in this party. So, we should sheathe our swords and work towards uniting ourselves so that they (Nigerians) would have a credible vehicle that can challenge what is bedevilling us,” he added.

Speaking on the National Executive Committee meeting which has not been held in the past few years, Damagum assured the party faithful of his commitment to ensuring that the highest decision-making body of the party is held in February 2025.

“The last meeting we had with the governors, we all agreed that we would have the NEC (meeting). I want to assure you that we will do everything possible to have the NEC this February.

“You are all aware that we have started the process of zonal congresses. Even at that, I enjoin our leaders to also be mindful of doing anything that can mar these congresses. It is very important to sound this note.

“We have had congresses in almost 28 or 29 states. We have problems in a few states. I think we are getting there,” he further said.

On his part, the BoT Chairman, Adolphus Wabara, expressed disappointment at the rift within the NWC, stressing that the meeting of the PDP advisory body came “at a time when the unity, focus, direction and ideals of our great party are being tested in ways that call for reflection and decisive action.”

Speaking shortly after Damugum, Wabara said, “Let me express my profound disappointment over the crises currently rocking the leadership of the NWC. As elder statesmen and women; leaders who hold the trust of the generality of our party members and the public, it is disheartening that these issues have not been resolved.

“The failure to resolve these internal conflicts undermines the strength and credibility of our party. It is, therefore, imperative that the NWC rises above personal interests and places the survival and progress of our great party above all other considerations.”

He advised the NWC to ensure that the NEC meeting is held in February, stressing that “party members across the country are in earnest expectation.”

The former Senate President urged party members not to forget that Nigerians want to see the PDP strengthened ahead of the next election cycle.

“Nigerians are looking to us as a beacon of hope, and we cannot afford to let them down. We must rebuild trust and offer a credible alternative that prioritises the welfare of the people,” he added.

As party faithful await the NEC meeting slated for February, the leadership of the party will do itself a world of good by declaring early enough its position on where its presidential ticket is headed in the 2027 election. Such a declaration would avert the crisis which played a key role in the electoral shellacking the PDP got in 2023 when chieftains like Wike, Samuel Ortom, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Seyi Makinde and Okezie Ikpeazu worked against the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

Until the party takes a definite position on whether it is going South or North in its search for a presidential candidate in 2027; the PDP might be on its way to political Golgotha