Wike vs Atiku: PDP Crisis Deepens As Fresh Moves to Sack Damagum Begin
- Abdullahi Umar Damagum's chairmanship position has led to a fresh brawl between Atiku Abubakar and FCT minister Nyesom Wike
- Atiku and Wike's drama has further worsened the crisis rocking the PDP as they locked horns to either sack Damagum, keep him, or replace him
- A court ruling complicating the party's leadership dynamics intensifies rivalry within the PDP as factions led by Wike and Atiku position themselves ahead of the rescheduled NEC meeting
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Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.
The camps of Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President, and Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have returned to the drawing board.
Source: Facebook
They have reportedly begun moves to re-strategise ahead of the rescheduled National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting scheduled for November 28, 2024.
Wike hold meeting to defeat Atiku, decide Damagum's fate
Recall that Wike had, while addressing his supporters in Port-Harcourt at an event, last week, promised to continue to be “a problem for Atiku, Obi and some PDP governors”, who are politically opposed to him and President Bola Tinubu.
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However, Sunday Vanguard gathered that Wike and his loyalists have been holding meetings in Abuja and Port-Harcourt to safeguard what they consider a string of court victories in the intra-party power struggle.
The camp considered it advantageous that the NEC meeting was rescheduled to November because it would save time for its poster boy, the PDP Acting National Chairman, Amb. Umar Damagum, to remain in office.
Atiku's camp move to replace Damagum
In contrast, the Atiku camp has been licking its wounds since the former substantive National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, resigned his position and moves to replace him with a candidate from the North Central has been stalling.
A decision by a Federal High Court in Abuja to restrain the NEC and the party’s Board of Trustees from removing Damagum from office has further complicated matters.
Atiku vs Wike: Appealing court order
A member of the party’s NEC who pleaded anonymity, disclosed to Vanguard on Sunday, October 27 that a team of lawyers under the guidance of two prominent Senior Advocates of Nigeria is being assembled to appeal the court order.
The party insiders stated that Damagum, for some strange reasons, has refused to convene the NEC meeting because he is eager to remain in an acting capacity.
The source added that it was out of place for the Wike camp to celebrate the latest shift in the date for the NEC meeting.
The source said:
“But for some strange reasons, Damagum has found one excuse or another to cling to power in an acting capacity by refusing to convene NEC.
“How can a man who says he has the party’s best interest at heart, go to court and tie our hands by removing one of the main items on the agenda of our NEC meeting?
“We have news for him, he can’t be acting chairman in perpetuity. That judgement or whatever it is will be appealed and vacated.”
Read more about PDP crisis here:
- Why we postponed NEC meeting, PDP opens up amid crisis
- PDP crisis: New twist as Bauchi gov’s faction seeks fresh court order, details emerge
- Ekiti PDP recommends Fayose suspension over anti party activities
Why Wike is angry with PDP, Atiku
In a related development, Legit.ng reported that Ovation Magazine publisher Dele Momodu voiced concerns about the crisis rocking the PDP and how FCT minister Nyesom Wike contributed to it.
In a trending interview, Momodu claimed Wike is yet to recover from his defeat in the 2022 PDP presidential primary.
He added that Atiku Abubakar's victory in the PDP primaries, with 371 votes, left Wike really disappointed, contributing to the party's defeat in the 2023 presidential election.
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Source: Legit.ng
