Amb. Umar Damagum, the Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has disowned the South-South Zonal Congress organized by loyalists of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, in Calabar, the Cross River State Capital, on February 22.
In his first public comment on the controversial Congress, Damagum noted that the party was yet to conduct any congress in the South South Zone because the tenure of the executives only recently expired.
The PDP Chairman spoke during the inauguration of the South South Zonal Caretaker Committee in Abuja on Thursday.
Damagum said, “This is a very important occasion, and I think I want to use this opportunity to tell us that there was no election as far as this party is concerned in the South-South.
“I have to make this clear, because the tenure of the Zonal Committee has expired, and we still have a few weeks or a month or so to do the Zonal Congresses.
“So we find it necessary to come up with this caretaker committee.
“I believe from your choices, some of you I have known and related with; I have no doubt that you will be diligent in your responsibility and usher in the new, soon-to-be-elected Executive Committee of the Zone.
“So, I enjoin you to be devoid of any partisanship or taking sides, to be diligent in the execution of your duties and to come up with an all-inclusive executive committee in the zone.
“I also want to use this opportunity to tell Nigerians that this party, the PDP, is still the party to beat. A party that has been tested for 27 years, one of the oldest parties.
“All these shenanigans you see around, the APC and the others, have not been more than 10 years old, and if you’ve grown up to be up to 27 years and are still standing, still counting, then there is no guarantee of more than that.
“The PDP is the guarantee for Nigerians to change the course of what is happening today in our country.
“I also want to use this opportunity to caution our leaders: don’t fear them.
“Nobody is going to change your destiny for you other than yourself. I’ve noticed maybe because of fears, you sometimes find leaders encouraging this present administration at the centre.
“I find it really very disgusting. Let’s tell ourselves the truth. So please, let’s be up and doing. Don’t fear anyone. Nigerians belong to all of us.
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“So, there’s nobody who is a better Nigerian than you are. It’s all an opportunity, but if you put your act together, the path is very bright; we will reach the destination.”
Speaking on behalf of the committee, Chairman Emmanuel Ogidi expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve and pledged to carry out the committee’s duties impartially.
“On behalf of the committee, I want to thank God Almighty and the National Working Committee for entrusting us with this responsibility,” Ogidi said.
“We assure you that, by God’s grace, we will carry out our duties diligently and impartially. We will follow the chairman’s guidance and work in the best interest of the party.”
With the PDP leadership reaffirming its commitment to internal democracy, the party’s focus now shifts to organizing a credible and transparent zonal congress in the South-South
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