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Blame neither Atiku nor Wike, Damagun, Bala cause of PDP crisis – Suswam
Gabriel Suswam, former Governor of Benue State, has argued that those blaming Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the party and Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) for the deepening crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are wrong.
Rather he wants them to channel such blames to Umar Damagun, Acting National Chairman of the party and Bala Muhammed, Governor of Bauchi State, who is the current Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum (PGF), whom he said were the ones stalling the full recovery of the party for their lack of leadership.
The former governor in two appearances at The Morning Show, a breakfast programme on ARISE NEWS, television network and Politics Today, a public affairs programme on Channels Television within the week, said without the insincerity of the two, neither Atiku nor Wike would have the ground to hold the party to ransom.
Hear him: “At my age and my stage, I won’t run away from such issues. PDP Acting National Chairman is one of those people. The PDP Governors Forum Chairman is one of the problems, because they have not been straight with us. So, I’m not shying away from that. I’m a member of PDP. I’ve sponsored PDP. I’ve been in this party since 1998 and have participated in its activities. I have contested seven elections under PDP, I won five and I lost two.
“So, there’s no way I’m going to shy away from what is happening. Damagun is the greatest problem we have in the party. But the chairman of the PDP Governors Forum should have guided him. He’s not doing his job. And that is why we’re here. As far as PDP is concerned, Bala Muhammed is the President, because governors are the one who are sponsoring the party now.
“They’re providing the money for the running of the party and Bala is the leader of that group. So, he is the leader of the party, so to speak. So, if he is not guiding the National Working Committee, then the buck stops on his table, then he’s one of the biggest problems that we have. It is not Atiku, it is not Wike. If Bala and Damagun have done what they should do, there’s no way that we’ll be have this type of shenanigans in the party.”
Suswam likened the PDP to a patient in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) that could either survive or die on a 50-50 chance, lamenting how a simple failure to show direction, unity, or honour in resolving internal conflicts, had cost the party greatly.
He particularly referred to the handling of issues related to Wike and the crisis in Rivers State, saying failure of the leaders to adhere to the agreement they reached with the FCT Minister on the matter which included the recognition of Samuel Anyanwu as National Secretary and the withdrawal of all court actions connected to state did not show honour on their part.
“I keep emphasising this without sounding like a broken record. I talked about leadership. Even at the family level, if we don’t have good leadership, that family is doomed. What has happened to PDP basically is that of leadership, lack of capacity on the part of the leadership of the party. They have had secret meetings. The FCT minister mentioned it. He said there was a meeting in Lagos, he was invited. They had an agreement in Lagos. There was another meeting in Abuja, in the house of a former Senate President, where those agreements were consolidated.
“If you are sincere to the people – and when we were called, former governors and current governors, about two weeks ago to a meeting, none of this was before us. Nobody knew that there were secret meetings where agreement was reached with the FCT minister. If you engage somebody in an agreement, you invite somebody and you engage him, it is only honourable that you honour the agreement. If you are not interested, why do that in the first place?
“So, I don’t blame the FCT Minister for what he’s saying. It’s dishonourable for me to call you and agree on something with you at my level, and then I reneged without reference to you. So I don’t blame him. It is the lack of capacity of the leadership. And the leadership has not been straight with party followers.”
Suswam, who particularly took issue with how the agreement ignored the decision of the South East PDP, which had already nominated a replacement National Secretary and communicated it to the party’s national secretariat, argued that such disregard revealed the extent to which the zone is being sidelined in party affairs.
“The South East as a bloc have met a couple of times, have decided that they want a new secretary of the party, have even nominated that person, have forwarded a letter to the headquarters of PDP.
“That is as a bloc. So if I’m going to engage in an agreement that would deviate from what the Southeast have done, they would have been involved. Or some of the stakeholders there would have been involved. I don’t think they were involved for them to take that decision because quite frankly, it’s confusing to me.”
Stressing that the pattern of exclusion and backroom dealings had not only fractured the party internally but also damaged public trust in its ability to serve as a credible opposition ahead of the 2027 elections, the former governor, also called out Umar Damagun, the PDP Acting National Chairman, accusing him of lack of sincerity.
From the seat of the Presidency, came what indicates a clear and open support for the camp in the African Democratic Congress (ADC) fighting David Mark, National Secretary and Rauf Aregbesola, National Secretary, respectively.
The signal came from Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff (CoS) to President Bola Tinubu, who practically threw his weight behind Leke Abejide, one of the arrowheads wedging the war that could see the main opposition party in Nigeria not presenting a candidate for next year’s presidential election.
Against the backdrop of allegations that Aso Rock has been fuelling the various crises in the major political parties, Gbajabiamila, former Speaker of the House of Representatives and a key ally of President Bola Tinubu, all but clearly stoked the fire by egging the Kogi lawmaker on to launch a fiercer onslaught against the Mark leadership.
Urging Abejide, who had sworn that he would do everything to ensure Tinubu’s re-election not to leave the ADC, through which he won his election to the National Assembly in 2023, but to stay back and fight rather than exiting the party, the ex-Speaker praised him for his resilience so far.
Abejide, who on his own, has thrown his weight behind Nafiu Bala, former Deputy National Chairman of the ADC, now laying claims to Mark’s position was one of those sacked at the convention organised by the Mark group last week.
But Gbajabiamila, who used the Kogi lawmaker’s birthday celebration on Monday to announce his support publicly, while hailing his political trajectory and resilience, including winning his election under the ADC – a relatively less-fancied platform in 2023.
His words: “For a man to contest in a place like Kogi, under a relatively unknown party, and win back-to-back elections, it tells you who that man is. You did not only secure re-election but also helped expand the party’s influence by bringing in other candidates. You’re a committed party man and a fighter.
“My charge to you is to stay in that same party. Fight them. Scatter them. Hold on to your party. Do not abandon them. We like what you are doing. Hold on to your party. Do not abandon it. Continue what you are doing. Win your election there. Nobody can take your party away from you.”
After the hammer from the Mark group, alongside Kingsley Temitope, Obinna Norman, Kennedy Odiong, and Stella Chukwuma, over the allegation of anti-party activities, Abejide dismissed his sack as null and void, coming from a “suya convention.”
President Bola Tinubu and others interested in the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) will have to cough out a whopping N100million as fee for the nomination form of the ruling party.
This is coming as the party released details of its scheduled presidential primary election billed for May 15 and 16, 2026, as part of preparations for the 2027 general elections.
Sulaiman Argungu, National Organising Secretary, who released the details of the activities of the party ahead of the nomination for the 2027 polls on its official X handle, including the sale of forms, screening of aspirants, appeals, and primary elections across all elective positions, said informed that the forms go on sale from April 25 to May 2, while the submission deadline was fixed for May 4.
The statement said screening of aspirants would commence on May 6 and end on May 8, with the publication of results slated for May 11 and appeals scheduled for May 12 to 13.
The primaries for the House of Representatives will be held on May 18, the Senate on May 20, State Houses of Assembly on May 21, and the governorship on May 23.
The party pegged the total cost of forms for presidential aspirants at ₦100 million, comprising ₦30 million for the expression of interest and ₦70 million for nomination.
Governorship aspirants are to pay ₦50 million, while fees for the Senate, House of Representatives, and State Assembly vary.
“Female aspirants, youth and physically challenged aspirants are to pay for the expression of interest and 50 per cent of the prescribed nomination fees for each position,” it added.
In the statement, the APC said the timetable was issued in line with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Electoral Act 2026, and the guidelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The party reaffirmed its commitment to conducting “credible and transparent primary elections” to strengthen internal democracy.
As of the time for filing this report, no member of the APC has formally declared interest in contesting the presidency.
Some APC leaders and key affiliations of the party have, however, endorsed President Bola Tinubu for re-election.
Although Tinubu has not publicly or officially declared his intention to run for a second term, he had last week dismissed the speculation that he was scared of the opposition ahead of the elections.
“The safety of our citizens rests on our shoulders. You must remain resolute and go after these criminals until they are eliminated. We must make Nigeria safe at all cost,” were the words with which Olufemi Oluyede Chief of Defence Staff, read the riot act for the umpteenth time against insurgents terrorising many parts of Nigeria.
Against the backdrop of renewed attacks in parts of the country days after the killing of Oseni Omoh Braimah a Brigadier General and I.A. Muhammed, a Colonel, each commanding troops in Borno State, one of the hotbeds of the nearly two decades onslaught in separate outbreaks, the CDS told troops of Operation FANSAN YAMMA to intensify ongoing operations against the terrorists and other criminal elements in the North-West region, stressing the need to ensure security across the country.
At an operational visit to the Headquarters Theatre Command, Joint Task Force North West, Operation FANSAN YAMMA (OPFY), in Gusau, Zamfara State, the military boss who said the visit was aimed at assessing operational readiness, addressing challenges confronting troops, and boosting morale in the ongoing campaign to restore peace and security in the region, commended their resilience, courage, and sacrifices in defence of the nation.
Urging the troops to remain disciplined, professional, and relentless in the fight against banditry and terrorism, the CDS, whose encounter was conveyed by Samaila Uba, a Major General and spokesman, at the Defence headquarters was said to have assured the troops of continued support in the areas of welfare, training, and provision of necessary operational equipment to enable them to discharge their duties effectively.
Uba, Director of Defence Information, quoted his boss as reaffirming the commitment of the Armed Forces of Nigeria to sustaining pressure on criminal groups until lasting peace is restored across the North West and the entire nation, acknowledging the importance of air support in ongoing operations.
The Defence Chief, while noting that efforts were underway to enhance operational capabilities through additional platforms and improved coordination across theatres of operations, was said to have paid a courtesy call on the Governor of Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal, appreciating him for his continued support of Operation FANSAN YAMMA and the military.
ADC: Fight, scatter them! *Presidency goads Kogi lawmaker on Mark’s leadership
Presidency: Tinubu, others to pay N100million for APC nominations
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