The Senate Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro (PDP Benue South), declared in Abuja on Sunday, that the survival of Amb. Umar Lliya Damagum as Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was not a victory or defeat for anybody but a decision taken in the best interest of the party.
Abba Moro who stated this in statement signed by his media adviser, Emmanuel Eche’Ofun John, said retainment of Damagum as Acting National Chairman of PDP, was unanimously agreed on by relevant stakeholders of the party and not about Wike or Atiku .
He said, “We cannot translate the entirety of PDP’s activities and inactivities to Wike and Atiku, out of millions of other members of the party across the country who also have their own thinking and reasons for being in the party.
“The whole issue was not about Wike or Atiku, or victory for Wike or defeat for Atiku, the issue was existential.
“We came together and reasoned together, that in the present scenario where Nigerians are hurting due to the maladministration of the APC government, what do we do to provide an alternative platform for Nigerians to look up to?
“In that circumstances, we decided to thread with caution so that we don’t throw away the baby with the bath water”.
On why the national caucus of the party allowed Nyesom Wike into their meeting, Senator Moro said the minister couldn’t have been stopped from the meeting since he has not been found guilty of any crime and penalised by the party.
According to him, if the party’s disciplinary committee, headed by Senator Bukola Saraki found Wike guilty of the alleged anti-party activities and have him sanctioned, he will stop attending the party’s meetings.
“The constitution of our party is very clear on who is a member and who is not a member of the caucus of the party and I dare say, at this point, that as a former governor who is still a member of the party, Nyesom Wike is a member of the National Caucus of the party.
“If actions had been taken immediately after the elections and people who are perceived to have acted contrary to the desires and yearnings of the PDP have been sanctioned, then we can say that having been expelled or suspended, you can’t be here, but as it is, non of such actions has been taken, so you can’t just ban people from attending meetings”, he said .
