The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before and after conduct of the 2023 general elections has assumed another dimension. This is as the national leadership, yesterday, directed state chairmen to submit names of erring stalwarts for sanctions.
At a meeting between the National Working Committee (NWC) members and chairmen in Abuja, the main opposition party also reviewed tenures of its executives in 26 states where vacancies exist on account of either deaths or resignations.
PDP’s Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, had last December warned that the party would wield the big stick against disloyal members. He specifically mentioned the immediate past governor of Rivers State and current Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, among those to be sanctioned.
Damagum had said: “If Wike believes he is above this party, we will be able to show him that he is not above this party.” But in a renewed bid to whip members and supporters into line, the National Organising Secretary, Captain Umar Bature (rtd), directed the state party chairmen and other stakeholders to recommend to the National Executive Committee (NEC) disobedient stalwarts for disciplinary action.
His words: “A lot of agitations are coming from party members - suspend this, suspend that - you are the ones that are in charge of those states.
“You are to tell us who engaged in anti-party activities or not. Based on that, the NEC will make a decision. Write to us and tell us what transpired, no matter what happened.
“I also want the Acting Chairman to call on the chairman of Cross River to tell us what is happening in the state. We hear so much in the media. We really need to know what is happening.”
The Damagum-led NWC held the parley with the 36 chapter chairmen, including the FCT, to discuss the state of the party and work towards tackling the challenges ahead.
