The acting national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ambassador Iliya Damagun has admonished elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark to recognise his age and refrain from sentimental political arguments.
The party boss gave the advice on Wednesday while inaugurating the reconciliation and disciplinary committees set up by the PDP at the national secretariat of the party in Abuja on Wednesday.
Damagun’s assertion came against the backdrop of Chief Clark’s open letter to him on Tuesday where he excoriated the party boss for allegedly colluding with the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to ruin the main opposition.
Recall the South-South leader had said that his purpose of writing the open letter was “To urge you (Damagun) to also purge yourself of all malfeasance. As Acting National Chairman of your party, you took your party’s NWC to court on the defection of the 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, that because they did leave the PDP properly, they are still members of the party, even after the 27 members had publicly declared that they have defected, and had already been received by the APC”.
“Your position Mr Acting National Chairman is antithetical to the position of Section 109. You took your party’s NEC to court, an organ you presided over. Yet you still have the presence of mind to remain in office, earning benefits that come with the office.
“From all indications, you are conniving with detractors of PDP to ruin the party, for the All Progressives Congress (APC). Allow Nigerians to decide what party they want through the ballot box.
“Stop colluding with Barr. Nyesom Wike to destroy the party. A day of reckoning will come for all of man’s activities.
“I wish and pray that you will not sell your soul and conscience for pecuniary and worldly gains, otherwise you, Barr Wike and your cohorts, will be consumed by the Rivers State crisis.”
But addressing the newly inaugurated committees, Damagun said Clark should do the needful and avoid sentimental approach to issues.
The party boss told Clark: “I will borrow Olisa Metuh’s remarks from 2015 when Edwin Clark left the party. There’s no doubt that he is an elder statesman. But I thought that when you reach that age, God has given you the opportunity and wisdom to be a father to all, not to engage in public arguments.
“He has all it takes to do the needful, not by taking a sentimental approach to the situation. I was not raised to be disrespectful to elders, so I don’t intend to dwell on this further.”
Damagun referred to a recent letter that he co-signed with the national secretary of the party on the Rivers State crisis, contradicting the position of the national legal adviser of the party not to appeal the court ruling restraining the state officials from dealing with the defected members of the house of assembly.
He observed that he had come under immense criticism over it but vowed not to be intimidated.
The party boss explained: “So, sometimes I feel sad. I also want to use this opportunity to clear certain insinuations that have been trending on social media. Last I checked, the signatories of this party are the chairman and the secretary.
“Just because the chairman and secretary signed a letter, it has become an issue. People are making all sorts of insinuations about it. I don’t want to engage with the other person. It’s a distraction.
“But it pains me when I see someone who knows the workings of the NWC going on television to mislead the audience and say things that are not correct. It is painful. Very, very painful.
“There is precedent for what we did. During Kashamu’s case, the chairman and secretary brought it to the Supreme Court. There was also the issue of Anambra.
“Two issues arose. The chairman and secretary, in any situation, work as a team. I don’t make decisions without consulting my members.
“I’ve always been proud of that. My door has always been open. So, nobody is going to intimidate me into abdicating my responsibility.
“You can say all sorts of things. I know this is a buildup to the next election. ‘Damagun must go, Damagun must go.’
“I thank God. People are making me very popular lately. Anytime you open social media or television, it’s ‘Damagun, Damagun.’
“Honestly speaking, I’ve started contemplating throwing myself into the ring and vying for the presidency of this country. Because I’ve become popular, even though the negative publicity is meant to bring me down, I’m not deterred.
“I have a responsibility to this party to keep it safe and stable. I intend to take all necessary actions to ensure the party remains stable. But I’ve reached a point where I have to speak out.
“I’ve avoided talking because I know so many things. When I open my mouth, I know it will not be pleasant, but that’s the price of leadership. I’m ready to take that bashing, more bashing.
“And to my detractors, let me tell you, you’ll see more of that later. Because I will not abdicate my responsibility. But I will act within the confines of the law, as stipulated by the constitution.
“So I’m not distracted. You can try to bring me down, but importantly, while doing so, please remember that we have NEC.
“So, for those interested in seeing Damagun go, this is a buildup to undermine me before we have NEC. But if you bring Damagun down and lose the party, what have you achieved? Because in trying to bring me down, you are also bringing down your party.
“Every time people say the party is dying, they are sending a message to the opposition that we are weak. If you believe in the party, you should speak positively, unless you are an agent of destruction.
“You should be positive whenever you talk if you believe in this party. So, I see this as an opportunity to clear the air.”
The newly inaugurated reconciliation committee is headed by former Osun State governor, Prince Olagusoye Oyinlola while former foreign affairs minister, Chief Tom Ikimi, heads the disciplinary committee.
In his remark after taking his oath,
Prince Oyinlola said the assignment is an opportunity to reflect on a shared goal as a political party.
According to him, PDP is a beacon of hope for the people and a vehicle for national progress.
He appealed to stakeholders and millions of members that the differences within the party can be used to recreate a very strong party.
“Our challenges may be much but they are not insurmountable. We can’t help our people unless we win election and we can’t win election without having a strong party. Nigerians need the PDP to rescue the country,” he stated.
On his part, Ikimi maintained that discipline is a requirement for efficiency in any organization including political parties.
He noted that for some time, there has been proliferation of actions of gross indiscipline which has caused the party electoral misfortune.
He said the fundamental problem of PDP in 2023 election was gross indiscipline Ikimi promised that the disciplinary committee would work according to the guidelines provided by the NWC.
The chairman of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC) said the PDP must put its act together to regain power lost in 2015.
“We are ready to prosecute allegations against any members indicted and recommend disciplinary measures,” Ikimi declared.
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