A prominent member of G-60 lawmakers in the House of Representatives, Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, has accused Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Umar Damagun, of acting out a script to destroy the party and render it incapable of contesting the 2027 general elections.
The lawmaker in a chat with journakists on Thursday, called on governors, lawmakers, and other leaders of the PDP to rise up now and speak out with a view to saving the party from those he called agents of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) within the party.
He said Damagun has gone against the tenets of the agreement reached at the last National Executive Council meeting of the PDP, which allowed him to remain in office until August, when a new chairman will be elected by obtaining a court injunction against his removal.
In addition, he said the PDP, under the leadership of Damagun, had gone to court to file a suit opposing the prayers to declare vacant the seats of the 27 lawmakers from Rivers state who defected to the APC, on the ground that it was only the party that can determine who its members are.
“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 interest of the PDP or APC, the new party of the now-former members?
“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 want 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, to illegally remove Governor Fubara (Rivers) from office.
“Also, a strange court action that Damagun NEC 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?
“Damagun has dragged the PDP to court and obtained an order restraining the PDP from removing him from office. This was after the NEC of the party had fixed August for Damagun to democratically leave office”, the lawmaker said.
