Elder statesman Chief Edwin Clark has written an open letter to the acting national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Amb. Iliya Damagun, accusing him of being bamboozled by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and jeopardizing the fortunes of the party.
In the letter dated April 24, 2024, and made available to the media in Abuja, he accused the party boss of ceding control of the recent meeting of its National Executive Committee (NEC) to the minister, who is a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) administration, while insisting on his membership of the main opposition party at the same time.
The leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) recalled that he had written to Damagun prior to the 98th NEC meeting on the need to take concrete actions to save the party but noted that his fears were confirmed by the outcome of the meeting.
Clark stated: “I issued a press release on the eve of the just-concluded NEC meeting of your party, which had not been held for a very long time, that except some courageous and bold actions are taken at the meeting, the party will collapse.
“Unfortunately, my sense of foreboding was confirmed by the actions and inactions of the PDP NEC during the meeting because, at the long-awaited meeting, there was a deliberate attempt to avoid the very serious issues plaguing the party, including those expressed by various stakeholders, such as the 60 Members of the House of Representatives.
“The NEC showed obvious weakness by allowing Mr. Nyesom Wike to bamboozle everyone in the meeting. No one was ready to speak truth to power. Therefore, emphasis was put on a reconciliation committee and not on the disciplinary committee which was earlier set up under the chairmanship of His Excellency, Emmanuel Udom, the immediate past Governor of Akwa Ibom State.
“It was, therefore, unfortunately, Wike’s day, and a confirmation of Wike’s earlier claim that PDP approved his joining President Tinubu’s cabinet as a minister.
“One wonders about the sincerity of the PDP when they criticize and condemn some of the policies of the government at the center when their ‘strong man and financier’ Nyesom Wike is a major player in the government of President Tinubu.”
While alleging that Wike was instrumental in Damagun’s appointment as the PDP acting national chairman and thus was bound to defer to the FCT minister, Clark said: “So, it appears to some people the obvious role you embarked upon, playing down the powers of NEC.
“It also appears that the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) is made up of Mr. Wike’s men, which includes your good self as acting national chairman, the national secretary, the national publicity secretary, some leaders such as Chief Dan Orbih, who unfortunately is not a chip off the old block of his father, the late Chief MCK Orbih, a great politician. We were all together in the National Party of Nigeria (NPN), in 1979.”
Speaking on the situation in Rivers State, the former federal commissioner of information observed that despite the obstacles being thrown on his path, Governor Siminalayi Fubara “is managing to disentangle himself from the chains placed on his feet by Mr. Wike and gain his freedom, and by extension, freedom to the people of Rivers State.”
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He affirmed that the 27 PDP members of the state house of assembly who defected to the APC were no longer members of the house, going by the prescription of the constitution, and therefore, have no powers over the state chief executive.
Clark wondered why Damagun failed to act when the 27 PDP members defected and asked him to explain his failure to intervene in the Rivers State crisis when other well-meaning members like Governor Bala Mohammed were suing for peace.
He added: “At this juncture, Mr. Acting National Chairman, I repeat, one may like to know your reaction to the defection of the 27 members of your party who defected to the APC, even when their defection was supported by Mr. President. Take note, Section 109 (1Bii) of the 1999 Constitution as amended is binding on all Nigerians, no matter the position they hold.
“One would have expected you to take action to contact INEC to fix a date for an election, but because you and your master Mr. Wike have set out to destroy PDP and the collateral damage caused is already affecting the unity of PDP.”
Clark further observed: “In all these issues, you remained silent; you refused to oppose and take any legal action against the new members of APC. Your publicity secretary merely made two public statements, and that was the end.
While also accusing Wike of using APC members to form the PDP caretaker committees of the various local government areas in Rivers State, he added: “Mr. Wike cannot, I repeat, eat his cake and have it. He is either a PDP man or an APC man. He must, therefore, be called to order.”
Clark further accused Damagun of turning a blind eye to the use of court ex parte motions to prevent leading members of the party from Rivers State from participating in the recent NEC, noting: “If the PDP NWC and other members of the party are sincere, honest, and actually believe in the party, they should go to court to challenge this baseless interim order that seeks to interfere with the internal affairs of the party.”
“To imagine that the NEC and the NWC of the party turned a blind eye to all that is happening in the PDP in Rivers State, because it is said you have a paymaster controlling you, is unbelievable.
“This is a clarion call on you, Mr. Acting National Chairman, to either sit up or do the needful by resigning from the position so that the party does not collapse on you.”
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