By Kingsley Okoye
A pressure group, the Concerned Peoples Democratic Party (CPDPL) has called for the confirmation of Amb. Umar Damagum as the substantive chairman of the party.
National Leader of the group, Mr Daboikiabo Warmate, said the call is contained in a communique, issued at the end of the executive meeting held in Abuja with a resolve to allow Damagum to implement his ”peace plan” for the party.
Participants agreed that the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) should immediately confirm Damagum as the substantive Chairman of the PDP to enable him execute his plan of uniting members of the party.
“We urge the party to without further delay summon a NEC meeting and subsequently convene a Special National Convention on or before the first quarter of 2024 to confirm and ratify Damagum as substantive chairman,” the communique of the meeting stated.
According to the group, it is over three months since Iyorchia Ayu was suspended by his ward executives and the court affirming the suspension.
They said that the implementation of “the Damagum Plan” (Officially the Rescuing and Recovering of PDP plan), would resuscitate, regenerate and restore the party to its position of being the hope of Nigerians.
“It took the NEC only 24 hours after the resignation/removal of Dr Bamanga Tukur to elect the ill-fated Chairmanship of Alhaji Adamu Mua’zu. So, the NEC can replicate that same speed again.
“The Damagum plan is a simple but robust plan of action that can be liken to the Marshall Plan (officially the European Recovery Program (ERP), initiated and enacted in1948).
“The plan will address the plethora of challenges bedevilling our great party and as such, we adopt it and urge the NEC and every well meaning members to embrace it as the pathway to true reconciliation, peace and unity.
“Damagum has proposed that, almost every one at one point or the other has hurt the party, with their words, actions and inaction secretly or openly, so let us all forget the past and come together to start afresh.
“Just like the South Africa Truth and Reconciliation and Rwanda National Unity and Reconciliation model that was used to enshrine peace and unity in those countries,” the communique stated.
The group noted that most of its leaders had at one time or the other contributed to the misfortune of the party which paved way for the All Progressives Congress (APC) to win 2015, 2019 and 2023 general elections.
“The meeting also noted that, rightly or wrongly, the party lost previous general elections because of ego, proof of political strength and worth, disregard of our 2012 and 2017 party constitution, regional, religious and personal interest of some leaders.
“It is high time we urge our leaders to tame their ego, regional, religious and personal interest, and silence their unnecessary attacks in the interest of the party and Nigerians.
The meeting urged thec party’s NEC to call for submission of proposal for the amendment of sections of its constitution that have promoted indiscipline and disunity in the party.
It also urged the Acting National Chairman of the party to put the National Deputy Youth Leader of the party, Timothy Osadolor, on check following his alleged abuse of the code of conduct and ethics of the party.
This, the group stated would deter young members of the party from emulating leaders who do not mean well for the party.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that on March 28, Damagun was appointed acting chairman, after Chief Iyorchia Ayu stepped aside from office.
Ayu’s decision was in obedience to an order of a Benue State High Court in Makurdi which asked him to stop parading himself as PDP national chairman.(NAN)
