A group known as the PDP Frontiers for Change and Progress (PFCP) has criticized the Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Amb. Umar Damagum, for allegedly sponsoring media propaganda against the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) Chairman, Senator Adolphus Wabara.
The group accused Damagum of trying to blackmail Wabara for his candid remarks during the PDP’s December 5 emergency meeting held at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.
Wabara had expressed disappointment at the repeated postponement of the PDP’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting under the Damagum-led National Working Committee (NWC). The NEC meeting, originally scheduled for November 28, 2024, marked its third postponement.
In his opening remarks, Wabara said: “It is with a deep sense of disappointment that I must express the BoT’s dismay at the continued shifting by the National Working Committee (NWC) in convening a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting. This delay not only undermines the trust and confidence of our members but also weakens the unity and democratic processes that are the foundation of our party.”
Following Wabara’s critique, a publication accused him of insensitivity, alleging that the NEC meeting was postponed to allow PDP members to attend the burial of the late First Lady of Akwa Ibom State. The publication also claimed Wabara was working against PDP interests and supporting the Labour Party.
In response, PFCP convener Emeka-Yellow Ikpegbu stated that Wabara merely spoke the truth and represented the views of many party faithful.
Ikpegbu described the media attack as “cheap blackmail” aimed at silencing Wabara and weakening the party. He argued that Wabara, as BoT Chairman, has a responsibility to guide the NWC and ensure the party adheres to its democratic principles.
“The sponsored media onslaught is meant to blackmail the BoT Chairman into submission, weaken the PDP, and ultimately hand over the party to the ruling APC. The actions of the Damagum-led NWC lend credence to suspicions that the Acting National Chairman is in bed with the APC for selfish interests.”
Ikpegbu accused Damagum of prioritizing personal ambitions over the party’s welfare, suggesting that his actions mirror attempts to align with the ruling APC.
Ikpegbu further alleged that Damagum’s leadership had weakened the PDP, citing unresolved crises in state chapters and a perceived disregard for due process.
Ikpegbu commended Senator Wabara, the PDP BoT, the Governors’ Forum, and other party elders committed to restoring the party’s strength. He called on PDP members nationwide to resist efforts to hijack the party.
“We assure Damagum that PDP members will not watch their party— the only beacon of hope for the country—be hijacked by political merchants.”
The group urged the NWC to address internal conflicts, adhere to democratic principles, and prioritize the revival of the PDP to reclaim its status as a ruling party at the center.
