•Umar Damagum
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says it will not lose sleep over the recent coalition that adopted the African Democratic Party (SDP) as a platform to contest the 2027 general election.
The party’s Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, stated this at the PDP National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting yesterday in Abuja, reports The Guardian.
Damagum said that the PDP remained the only party ready to take back power in 2027.
According to him, PDP remained the party with the structure, national acceptability, and legacy capable of bearing the weight of great nation-building.
“I must address the matter of a so-called coalition recently formed, which includes some defecting members of our party,” he said.
“On this issue, I am pleased to report that this political experiment is nothing to lose sleep over.
“They say, a bird in hand is worth two in the bush. Some people have recently learned this truth in the most uncomfortable way.
“Many who jumped on the coalition bandwagon have already returned to our fold. Some even claimed they never left and merely attended a meeting; we accept their confessions without prejudice.
“Let me add that this reversal is not limited to PDP members alone. Individuals from other political parties who initially joined this coalition have realised that the venture is ill-fated and their swift return is proof of this,” Damagum said.
‘We’re not against coalition to unseat Tinubu in 2027’
The Chairman of PDP Governors’ Forum, Gov. Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, said that the party sympathised with those who, out of impatient left the party, adding that the party door was still open for them to return.
“This is not the time for calling names. This is not the time for abuses.
“We sympathise with those who became impatient and left, but certainly they will understand and we will still leave the door ajar for them to come in when they wish to, within a time limit.
“We will not continue to condone indiscipline in this party, because indiscipline is what brought us these challenges.
“Definitely, the party has shown resilience, and the governors are going through a lot of challenges, just like the NWC.
“We will continue to express confidence in the organs of the party,” he said.
Mohammed commended members of the party’s NWC, who had shown magnanimity by agreeing to go earlier before the end of their tenure.
“They have shown that at least they are with us and we should always appreciate that, because if everyone becomes dogmatic, we are not going to where we want,” Mohammed said.
