The acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Umar Damagum, declared on Monday that the party’s National Executive Committee, NEC, has affirmed Samuel Anyanwu as the National Secretary.
Damagum spoke in Abuja after the NEC meeting, which was held at the party’s headquarters.
According to him, Anyanwu’s affirmation was one of the key resolutions reached during the NEC meeting, which remains the party’s highest decision-making body.
“Let it be clear that the NEC has affirmed Senator Samuel Anyanwu as the National Secretary of our great party,” Damagum stated.
“The beauty of our party is that we have always handled our problems in our ways. Damagum called on party faithful to stop the arbitrary demarcating of this party.
“So after a few consultations with our leaders, the governors, leaders of other organs, we say for the synopsis, even though we’ve deferred this NEC and we had challenges, but this is our own NEC. And this NEC is going to deliberate on only one item so that we don’t run out of the other regulators asking us to do this, to do that.”
He stated that the 100th NEC will discuss when to hold a second NEC and go to the convention in a most lawful and profound way
“We’ll discuss that and we’ll issue the date when we conclude this meeting. I also want to use this opportunity to remind us that as party faithful, we all have a responsibility to this party.
“The issue at hand, which created a lot of tension and division within us has been discussed and we have taken a position.
“Unfortunately, the agreement to allow the National Secretary to step in which has been actually prompted our meeting will be discussed; it was a painful decision.
“We want the media to know, if you so much love this party, I think it is now time for you to devote your energy in propagating the beauty of this party and stop demarketing the party unless if you are one of those that have been contracted to come and destroy our party.
“I want to say it clearly here, enough is enough.” Governor Bala Mohammed described the outcome as “miracle of the PDP, the party that has history, that has the pedigree and the human capital to deliver Nigeria”
Mohammed, while acknowledging that the party had been engrossed in controversies and challenges, not created by it, added that ” but it was created for us, and we have been navigating, unlike the other parties, irrespective of the manifestations and the perceptions there.”
He also described the news of people leaving the party as “cosmetic” adding that, “they were all created to diminish us. But I must thank the leaders and other all the organs of the party, especially the BoT, the caucuses of the National Assembly, and most important to my colleagues and the NWC, because everything we are doing, we are doing for the NWC today. I must tell the world that the NWC has collapsed all differences, all wranglings.
“They met before this meeting, what you have been seeing in terms of press releases have stopped and you will not see them again. And that is what the BoT chairman is telling you. We are all on the same page, no excuse for coalition, no excuse to form any stakeholders meeting other than that of the NWC.
“We are solidly behind this NWC and governors, and we’ll continue to work as the conscience of the party and other organs of the party to make sure we succeed”
Bala assured that the party will not disappoint Nigerians. “Please be assured that will not disappoint Nigerians and our team supporters. Before I sit down, I want to thank our governors and especially our state church chapters, the chairman who are the body that is giving us the confidence.
“There is no element of wrangling in the state chapters. And that is where our strengths lie. We thank you our chairman in the States for keeping the party with or without resources and making sure that you have provided them with what is required to keep the parties intact.”
The meeting was attended by about 302; members including Governors Bala Mohammed of Bauchi state, Dauda Lawal of Zamfara, Caleb Muftwang, of Plateau state, Ahmadu Fintri of Adamawa State and Duoyi Diri of Bayelsa state,
Others are seriaki Dickson , Abba Morro, Bukola Saraki and Jerry Gana.
Others are former Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Obom state, Olabode George, Labaran Maku and Sunday Udeokoye
Others are Adolphus Wabara, Taofeek Arapaja, the party’s Deputy National Chairman, South, Ben Obi and Josephine Anenih
Bode George, a member of the Board of Trustees BoT, while speaking earlier, warned those he described as ” power that be” against interfering with the party’s internal affairs to truncate its meetings.
George who was in Abuja to attend the BoT meeting scheduled at the party’s secretariat at Wadata Plaza, Abuja, kicked against the decision of security operatives to stop them from using the party secretariat for the meeting
The Security operatives had cited ” instructions from above” for barring the BoT from holding their meeting at the secretariat
The development led the BoT members to shift the venue of the meeting to the Yar’Adua center, in Abuja
But reacting to the development, George said “They said we will not hold our meetings in our office? What is going on? I was a young man in 1962 when it all started in South West.
” We must avoid that pit-line, that madness. What is it? Can’t we sit and talk? What is the essence of democracy? Nigerians are watching.
“You came to our office, surrounded it with police because you want to have a meeting?
” You want to turn us to North Korea? Or turn this country to Russia? We will not allow it. Nigerians will not allow it. I have seen both sides. Let them be very careful. Allow everybody to work according to the law of the land.
“We spoke to some of the policemen who said that actually it is to maintain law and order because of the conflicting notices that emerged yesterday and also that they got an order from above.
” This is the voice of Jacob but the hand of Esau. Whoever is the person that ordered from the above, we’ve heard it before. I have been on both sides.
So, let me please advise, allow sleeping dogs to lie. We have more problems, economic, financial, education, infrastructure. They should face that.
“PDP is the only political Iroko tree in this country. You are saying we cannot stand? Can you tell Iroko tree in the bush that it cannot stand? Is it possible? You speak in the parable, hand of Esau, body of Jacob.
“Who is the Esau or who is the Jacob? If he says the order from above, where is the above? That’s why I said, the voice of Jacob, but the hand of Esau.
“This is why we came for the meeting because PDP is not a private enterprise. You don’t resolve it outside”
