-Demands Wike\u2019s expulsion from party<\/p>\n
By Bayo Davids<\/p>\n
60 members of the House of Representatives supporting the administration of Governor Siminalaiye Fubara of Rivers State on Tuesday reiterated their demand for the resignation of Umar Damagum, the Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (Party).
\nThis is even as they succeeded in nipping in the bud, moves by Nyesom Wike\u2019s ally, Honourable Kingsley Chinda who doubles as the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives to have the PDP caucus pass a vote of no confidence on embattled Damagum.<\/p>\n
Ahead of the belated National Executive Committee meeting of the PDP fixed for Thursday, Chinda had summoned a meeting of the party caucus to address myriads of issues affecting the party, against the backdrop of the demand for the resignation of Damagum by lawmakers led by the member representing Ideato North\/Ideato South Federal Constituency, Imo State, Mr Ikenga Ugochinyere.<\/p>\n
As it were, the battle for the soul of the party between Fubara, and the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike has now taken a fresh twist\u00a0 with the two PDP leaders literally dividing the parliament in two camps.<\/p>\n
Wike is believed to be rallying support for Damagum whose administration of the party has been nothing short of a disaster.
\nSimultaneously ,the Fubara-backed Ugochinyere-led group wants the acting chairman to quit office on account of alleged non-performance and anti-party activities.
\nLast week, the Imo lawmaker led his group to demand the resignation of Damagum, and less than 24 hours later, Chinda issued a statement denouncing the group, insisting that at no time did the caucus meet to discuss issues raised by Ugochinyere.<\/p>\n
At Tuesday’s closed door meeting, lawmakers were sharply divided along the lines of those in support of Damagum and those against his continued stay in office.<\/p>\n
A member of the Ugochinyere-led group told the media how his faction frustrated the move to pass a confidence vote on Yobe-born Damagum.<\/p>\n
He said, \u201cTheir plan to pass a vote of confidence on Damagum failed. This is because lawmakers did not see the reason for this. It is the stand of the 60 lawmakers which earlier briefed the press last week that Damagum should resign so that an Acting National Chairman of the PDP from the North Central zone can take over the office.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe also want the FCT Minister to be expelled from the PDP for his anti-party activities.
\n“We are glad that the plan of the pro-Wike group supporting Damagum fell like a pack of cards as we refused all entreaties to perpetuate illegality and stoking the crisis in the party.<\/p>\n
“Our party needs total overhaul and reformation. We currently have in the PDP a national leadership that is in bed with the All Progressives Congress and is working extremely hard to hand over the party to the APC. This is quite shameful and disheartening. But we won’t fold our hands and let that happen.<\/p>\n
“We are, aside from other demands, insisting on 100 percent formation of a caretaker PDP executive list at all levels without any tampering or inclusion of new names outside the earlier resolution that members of the expiring Rivers State excos should act as caretaker for three months pending the conduct of the substantive election. Our party will not be overtaken by APC. We are here to serve the Nigerian people not the whims and caprices of some selfish politicians.”<\/p>\n
-Demands Wike\u2019s expulsion from party By Bayo Davids 60 members of the House of Representatives supporting the administration of Governor Siminalaiye Fubara of Rivers State on Tuesday reiterated their demand…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":111415,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-111414","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exclusive"],"yoast_head":"\n