A coalition of members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the House of Representatives has called for the resignation of the acting National Chairman of the party, Amb. Umar Damagum, over alleged anti party activities.
The members of the coalition who made the call on Monday while addressing newsmen in Abuja, threatened to resign from the party if their demands are not met.
Rep. Ugo Chinyere (PDP-Imo) who spoke on behalf of the coalition of over 60 members, said that the emergence of Damagum as acting national chairman is against the party constitution.
According to him, following the removal of Sen. Iyorchia Ayu as the national chairman, the office should be occupied by a leader from the North Central in accordance with the constitution and not someone from the North East.
He alleged that the acting national chairman was working with members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) against the interest of the PDP in Rivers and 10 other states.
The lawmaker said that the call for Damagum’s resignation was necessary to save the largest opposition party on the continent.
“We call for immediate resignation of Umar Iliya Damagun as acting National Chairman of PDP for anti-party activities.
“The party should allow the North Central produce the acting chairman as clearly stated in the PDP Constitution or watch us reconsider our membership of the party in the months ahead.
“We demand the removal of Damagun by the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party with further sanctions against him for his anti-party activities.
“That the NEC should ensure that the list of party Caretaker Committees in Rivers State and all other 10 states tampered by Damagun and his APC Friends are reversed and announced as originally agreed.
“That the move to use serving APC members in Rivers and 10 other states to lead our party caretaker at state, LGA and ward level is the highest act of political provocation and impunity that we are going to fight with everything in us.
“PDP cannot be handed over the APC; APC officers cannot emerge as our party officials in Rivers or any of the 10 states with alleged imposition of APC interest,” he said.
Chinyere urged the NEC of PDP to review the sources of revenue generation to pay salaries of staff of the party’ National Secretariat and to discharge all other responsibilities.
He said that Ward Executives where people were involved in anti-party activities or were still involved like Cross River, Rivers, Benue, Abia, Ondo, Kano, Kogi, Edo among others, should immediately announce the expulsion of all those involved without fear or favour.
He urged Rivers Sate Judiciary to resist plots by some politicians to use Court orders and extend the tenure of party caretaker committees at LGA and ward levels in the state.
