Top stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the North-Central Zone have declared their firm resolve to ensure the zone produces a replacement for the partys acting national chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum, early in 2025.
In a communiqu issued after a high-profile meeting, which included two former Senate Presidents, two ex-presidential aspirants, former senators, a serving member of the PDP National Working Committee (NWC), ex-ministers, four former governors, and the zones only serving governor, the stakeholders made their intentions clear.
They revealed that strategic efforts are underway to persuade party leaders across the north to support the ousting of Damagum in favour of a candidate from the North-Central zone.
Among those present were David Ombugadu, a former House of Representatives member from Nasarawa State and previously proposed consensus candidate for the zones National Chairmanship. Also, in attendance was Senator Gabriel Suswam, a staunch Atiku loyalist, who once expressed interest in the PDP National Chairmanship position.
The communiqu, issued after their meeting in an undisclosed location in Abuja, outlined three key resolutions: The stakeholders (Elders) of the PDP reviewed the state of the Party, with particular reference to the vacant position of National Chairman of the Party following the exit of Senator Iyorchia Ayu.
The PDP Constitution clearly stated that for succession of offices in the party at all levels, which is largely to the extent that any vacant position can be replaced by appointment from the zone, as per section 47 (6) of the party.
The party is guided by its own constitution at all times; therefore, the leadership of the party needs to rise up to the occasion to restore goodwill and cohesion in the party, by making necessary sacrifices and compromises to restore confidence and cohesion in the party.
It is in the light of this that the stakeholders of the North Central Zone appealed to the conscience and goodwill of our compatriots in other zones of the Northern region to restore the seat of the Chairmanship of the party back to the North-Central zone to serve out its tenure.
That the stakeholders must strive to build consensus to get the buy-in to the position of North-Central zone. The zone is united, and will strive to preserve the PDP as a veritable platform for good governance in Nigeria, they stated.
The list of PDP North-Central zone stakeholders at the meeting includes Plateau state governor, Caleb Muftwang; two ex-Senate Presidents, Senator David Mark and Senator Bukola Saraki; serving National Legal Adviser, Alhaji Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN); former Minister of the Interior, Senator Abba Moro; ex-governors Jonah Jang, Babangida Aliyu, AbdulFatah Ahmed and Idris Wada.
Others include Senator Tunde Ogbeha, Senator Simon Mwadkwon, Mrs. Margaret Ichen, Raymond Dabo, Mrs Sarah Ochekpe, Senator Suleiman Adokwe, Labaran Maku, Senator Zainabe Kure, Prof. Jerry Gana, Senator Dino Melaye, Senator Philip Aduda, Maika Jiba, Isa Dobi, Senator Mohammed Onao and Senator Peter Jiya.
