Fayose Declares PDP ‘Dead’, Backs Suspension Of Damagum

Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has declared that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is in a hopeless situation and reasonably gone into extinction, saying there is currently no hope of the opposition party returning to power.

Fayose, who spoke with journalists on Sunday in Ado Ekiti, threw his weight behind the suspension of the PDP National Chairman, Umar Damagum, by a faction of the party, describing the Damagum-led National Working Committee (NWC) as “undertakers” who came to “bury the party.”

He congratulated the PDP National Vice Chairman (North Central), Mohammed Abdulrahman, on his emergence as Acting National Chairman, urging him to reunite aggrieved members and reposition the opposition party for survival.

“The party needs a leader who can reunite everybody at this time. So, I congratulate Abdulrahman, and I want to assure all party members that it is a new beginning.

“There is no hope of PDP coming back for now. Even the captains of our boat are jumping ship. They are moving from one bed to another. So, who is going to hold the party together?

“PDP has reasonably gone into extinction, unfortunately. The Damagum-led National Working Committee are undertakers. They have come to bury the party. It will interest you that they are leaving in less than one or two months, yet they are still suspending and counter-suspending members.

“But you never can tell; you may find a doctor in Abdulrahman who is willing to turn the tables around for the party. Right now, however, the party is in a coma,” he said.

According to him, Abdulrahman should be given a chance to rescue the party from total collapse.

“If somebody comes to the rescue and decides to save the party, as in the case of Abdulrahman, we will give him a chance. That’s why I said earlier that he should go and rescue this party.

“We are happy we have a new acting national chairman, Abdulrahman, who emerged yesterday (Saturday) as a result of the confidence reposed in him after the suspension of the former chairman.”

He maintained that Damagum’s suspension was well-deserved, adding that his leadership brought confusion and division.

“You will recall that this is the same way former PDP chairman Iyorchia Ayu’s crisis started. Damagum will go the way of Ayu, I can assure you. His last service to the party was before the suspension. Damagum is not going to return to that office as chairman,” Fayose said.

“In the first place, he was not supposed to be the chairman. He only represented an interregnum but manipulated the process to become chairman and caused so much confusion everywhere. It shows that Damagum has been incompetent; he does not have what it takes to operate in that office,” he added.

The former governor urged Abdulrahman to begin immediate reconciliation across state chapters and prepare for a credible national convention in line with the court’s directive.

“Therefore, we want to appeal to the new acting chairman, assuring him of the cooperation of all party members and urging him to reposition the party, make all necessary corrections at the state chapters, and prepare for the convention.

“After everybody must have obeyed the last court judgment that congresses must be held in all state chapters before the convention, I stand here to tell the whole world that Abdulrahman will be affirmed by the court so that there will be stability, because due process has been followed in suspending Damagum from that office.” he stated.

The PDP had plunged deeper into crisis on Saturday as fresh divisions emerged within its leadership, with a faction announcing the suspension of National Chairman Umar Damagum and five other members of the National Working Committee.

Announcing the decision, the PDP National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, said Damagum was suspended for one month over allegations of incompetence, financial misconduct, and disregard for court judgments.

“Unfortunately, some people may say that the National Secretary, National Organising Secretary, who has the responsibility of monitoring everything, and the National Legal Adviser, who is responsible for all legal issues, were purportedly suspended.

“On this note, we decided to suspend the National Chairman of the party, Damagum, for incompetence, financial misconduct, and disregard for court judgment. He has been suspended for one month and should face the Disciplinary Committee.

Secondly, we also suspended the National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, for issuing statements without the party’s approval, and the Deputy National Vice Chairman (South), Taofeek Arapaja, has also been suspended,” Anyanwu said.

Other suspended NWC members include the National Treasurer and the Deputy National Secretary.

However, in a swift response, the NWC under Damagum’s leadership announced the suspension of Senator Anyanwu, National Legal Adviser Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN), and two others, accusing them of anti-party activities and gross misconduct.

The conflicting suspensions exposed the deep cracks within the PDP, with rival factions battling for control of the party’s national leadership.

Fayose’s comments come amid growing concerns over the opposition party’s inability to present a united front since its loss in the 2023 presidential election.

Many party chieftains, including former governors and legislators, have either defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) or withdrawn from active participation in party affairs.

While some PDP stakeholders have dismissed the latest leadership crisis as a temporary setback, Fayose warned that without urgent intervention and genuine reconciliation, the party might not recover from its present state.

“The PDP is in a coma. Only a serious surgery can bring it back to life,” he said.