The Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has declared his support for IIiya Umar Damagum as the Peoples Democratic Party’s acting National Chairman.
The leadership of the PDP said they had resolved to replace Damagum with someone from North Central as the party’s acting National Chairman.
This was announced on Tuesday by Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State and Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, hinting that the next chairman of the party will be from the North Central region of the country.
This decision automatically disqualifies Damagum who is from Yobe State, northeastern region.
Damagum is a loyalist of the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
He started having issues with the party’s stakeholders and governors when he handed over the party’s structure in Rivers State to Nyesom Wike.
However, Makinde while speaking on Wednesday at the groundbreaking ceremony for the upgrade of the Samuel Ladoke Akintola Airport, Ibadan, to international standards, said he was not in support of the removal of Damagum.
The governor also said this is not the right time for the opposition party to think of changing its leadership considering that Edo State governorship poll is a few days away.
He said: “And I am glad that our acting national chairman and members of his National Working Committee (NWC) are here. I read yesterday that there is another meeting in Bauchi by some NWC members.
“Let me say clearly, I have been discussing with my brother on our way here, that we are 100 per cent in support of the Iliya Damagum-led NWC. Whatever decision you take, we will support you, to reposition our party.”
“Let me also say I don’t think this is the right time, even if we have issues with ourselves, we have an important election on Saturday, so we should all rally around and deliver our candidate, Dr Asue Ighodalo,” he said.
Peoplesmind
