Damagun Desperate to Sink PDP Ahead of 2027 Elections, House Member Alleges

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

A member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the House of Representatives, Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere, has said the Acting National Chairman of the party, Umar Damagun, was planning to sink the main opposition  party ahead of  the 2027 elections.

Ugochinyere, while addressing a press conference in Abuja, yesterday, said all the steps taken by Damagun after the last National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the party were contrary to the peace agreement that gave him the opportunity to continue in acting capacity.
He called on the PDP governors, lawmakers, and other leaders of the party to rise up now and speak out with a view to saving the party from those he described as “agents of the APC”.

According to him, “Since after the NEC meeting, which agreed for a peaceful exit for Damagun at the next NEC meeting that will come in a few months, which will see the emergence of a candidate from North Central as PDP Chairman, many strange things have been happening.

“First, they went to secure an exparte order that Damagun should remain in office using APC members who are parading as PDP members.
“Now, in an action that looks like payback, Damagun NWC has hired a pro-APC interest lawyer to file court papers seeking to reinstate sacked APC lawmakers to enable them to attempt the impossible task of attempting to illegally remove Gov. Fubara from the office.

“Also, a strange court action that Damagun NWC is not opposing came out from nowhere, ordering NWC to allow the PDP caretaker list filled with APC members to be inaugurated; strangely, our PDP now allows APC members to take over our party structures. Now, are you thinking what we are thinking?”
Ugochinyere added that Damagun has dragged the PDP to court and obtained an order restraining the PDP from removing him from office, saying this was after the NEC of the party had fixed August for Damagun to peacefully leave the office.

“The PDP is now approbating and reprobating at the same time. So, what happened? When was this new alliance forged? When did the PDP start defending the defected lawmakers? What are the terms of that negotiation? Are the terms in the int

erest of the PDP or APC, the new party of the now-former members?,” he queried.
Ugochinyere insisted  that Damagun was a clear and present danger to the PDP and its survival, stressing that he has now come out openly and was no longer disguising that his loyalty is with the All Progressives Congress (APC).