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A former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Olabode Ibiyinka George, has called for a holistic approach in resolving the crisis rocking the party, saying the two main issues rocking the party are the controversy over the tenure of the party’s Acting National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum, and the struggle for party’s ticket for the 2027 presidential election.
You know, human beings are human beings. The only perfect being is the Almighty God. I have listened to a lot of people making comments on the state of our party.“ he told Arise TV
In fact, some people say that our party is dead but our party is not dead. Discussions are ongoing and, like you also observed that there are three major groups: The group of Damagum, the group of Atiku, and some other groups. As a life member of the Board of Trustee, BoT, I want you to look at our role in the management of the party. BoT is the custodian of the assets and liabilities of the party and it is also the mediator when we have crisis like this.
I keep telling people we can disagree without being disagreeable, and I believe that this is not something that is completely out of control because if we are able to manage ourselves effectively, we will be able to convince the electorate (in 2027), and no matter what crisis come to us as a government (post 2027), we will be able to manage such crisis.
Recently the BoT met in Abuja and came up with certain decisions and suggestions but it’s not yet over. They have fixed a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting for February 24, 2025 and I believe that before then, to avoid any unusual behaviour at that meeting, we still need to take certain steps as members of BoT because, we are not judges. At the highest level, the NEC of the party is next to the National Convention.
The highest level is the National Convention and next level is the NEC. At NEC, BoT members are not allowed to vote, only permanent members of BoT are allowed to vote. So, we need to temper and calm down, to look at the problems where they started, not just jump into the middle in discussing the problems.
What started this crisis? We cannot avoid discountenancing the beginning of this crisis without actually putting everything involved on the table of where we can resolve it. I don’t know whether I have the time to go to the depths of it but what I am pleading with every BoT member is that we should be very calm, we should be God-fearing, we have to be fair, just and be absolutely equitable in resolving this crisis. Atiku has his own side, what happened at that time that he got the ticket, what happened to Section 7 sub-section 3C of our constitution that affirms that there will be zoning and rotation of elective party positions and the other positions.
There were mistakes that were made. This is a national party, not a private enterprise. The first mistake that was made was that Iyorchia Ayu was the National Chairman… Fine, he appointed the Chairman of that convention, a former Senate President who is also from Benue State. So, he concentrated that decision on the Chairman, David Mark, and himself. And, I said, “Look, this doesn’t go well”, and then you made a promise.
There were reasons why we allowed every zone to contest. Have people forgotten what happened on that convention floor? These are serious issues and we must ensure they don’t happen again. We accepted that because of the reasons they gave. Now, everybody seems to believe and behave as if that doesn’t matter, including what Damagum is doing. Something leads to something and that’s why we found ourselves where we are. Let’s be honest with ourselves.