Damagun’s Stay In Office Not A Victory For Wike – Abba Moro

Senate Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro has said the vote of confidence passed on the acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Umar Iliya Damagum, is a victory for the party.

In a statement on Sunday by his spokesman, Emmanuel John, the Senator representing Benue South Senatorial District said Damagum’s continued stay in office is in the interest of the party and for it to forge ahead.

Moro stated these in reaction to the claim that Damagum’s survival was a victory for the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and a defeat for the 2023 PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

The Senator said the activities and inactivities of the PDP should not be translated to Atiku and Wike, noting that the whole issue was not about victory or defeat for anybody but about the PDP.

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 dont throw away the baby with the bath water.”

Next NEC Meeting

On expectations from the next NEC meeting scheduled for August 15 regarding the position of the National Chairman of the party, Moro said the party’s constitution had a spelt out succession plan.

He said: “The constitution of our party has a well-spelt-out succession plan. Section 35 (3C) states that where a vacancy exists, someone from the zone of the immediate past occupier of the office shall be appointed by NEC to complete the tenure of the person who vacated the office.

“For the position of the National Chairman, we will look at the succession plan of the party, in accordance with the constitutional provisions, and produce a replacement for Senator Iyorchia Ayu from North Central now that he has heeded tour plea and withdrawn his case from the court.

“We will go to the next NEC meeting with open minds and invoke the relevant sections of the constitution to produce his replacement.”

Moro appealed to members and stakeholders of the party to have some level of circumspection and restraints in their actions and utterances so as not to further polarize the party.