PDP Crisis: BoT, governors urged to bar Atiku, Wike from NEC meeting

Concerned groups of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, have
called on the Party’s Board of Trustees, BoT, PDP Governors Forum, and the
National Working Committee, NWC, of the party to prevent Atiku Abubakar and
Nyesom Wike from attending the meeting.

The groups made this call ahead of the National Executive
Council, NEC, meeting of the party scheduled for Thursday in Abuja.

According to them, barring the two individuals would help
restore sanity and political stability in the party, urging the BoT and PDP
Governors Forum to take immediate action to address the ongoing political
crisis threatening to undermine the unity and stability of the party.

The PDP Northern Professionals Movement and PDP Elders
Support Group in a joint statement after a meeting with other stakeholders of
the party from 22 States of the North in Kaduna, also kicked against the calls
for the removal of Usman Iliya Damagum as acting chairman of the party, arguing
that, the case of the suspended chairman, Iyorcha Ayu is still in court.

They added that Damagum as Deputy Chairman, North, came in
an acting capacity and until the court determines Ayu’s matter or Ayu resigns,
Damagum remains in that capacity.

Leaders of the two groups, Mr Isaac Samuel and Dr Muazzam
Lawal Sadauki in a joint press statement, described the ongoing attacks on the
personality of Damagum and the National Working Committee of the PDP by some
youths in the social media as “unfortunate”.

The groups, however, expressed confidence in the leadership
of the party saying despite the post-2023 general election abandonment by the
former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the Minister of the Federal Capital
Territory Nyesom Wike, the party is standing strong.

“These are coming up because of the interest of some
individuals who are eager to control the soul of our party unconstitutionally.
These include people who have abandoned the party several times after the
general elections.

“The task before the party leaders now is to identify the
grey areas to address such and then return the desired peace and unity to the
PDP,” the statement read in part.