Umar Ilya Damagum
The Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) UmarIliya Damagum, at its 101st National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja on Thursday dismissed the political coalition that morphed into the African Democratic Congress, ADC, as a failed political experiment, disclosing that that several members of the party who left to join it had started to return.
Damagum, who was optimistic about the troubled party’s readiness to reclaim power in the 2027 general elections, praised the resilience of the PDP which he described as the only party with the structure, national reach, and legacy strong enough to lead Nigeria forward.
At the NEC meeting which attracted political bigwigs within the party, including governors, federal lawmakers, state chairpersons, as well as other major stakeholders, the acting national chairman stated that “Many who jumped on the coalition bandwagon have already returned to our fold. Some even claim they never left and merely attended a meeting. We accept their confessions without prejudice”.
Noting that the reversal was not limited to PDP members alone, Damagum disclosed that some individuals from other parties who joined the coalition had also returned, describing the alliance as “ill-fated”.
While commending the party’s state chairmen, governors, and legislators for their unwavering loyalty, Damagun described the PDP governors as the ‘backbone’ of the party and also hailed and its lawmakers for confronting unpopular government policies and setting a standard for state assemblies.
Damagum boasted that “The Peoples Democratic Party remains the only party that is not only poised and ready to take back power, but also the only party with the structure, national acceptability, and legacy capable of bearing the weight of this great national undertaking”.
The chairman appealed to members of the party to be united and sincere in their contributions during the NEC meeting, encouraging them to focus on what would benefit both the PDP and the Nigerian people.