Acting National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Ambassador Umar Iliya Damagun and the herculean task before him, by Dr. Aminu Salihu Yakudima
Ambassador Umar Iliya Damagum emerged as the acting National Chairman (NC) of the People’s Democratic Party on Tuesday 28th of March 2023, becoming the seventh and youngest Acting Chairman in the history of PDP. Seventeen men have actually chaired the party since its formation in 1998. Ambassador Damagum joins these gentlemen in the service of the party at the pinnacle of leadership.
The PDP is arguably at a crossroads right now relative to a number of contentious issues. Ambassador Iliya Damagum therefore has a daunting task in repositioning the party to begin winning national elections again and put an end to internal wrangling. He can do it by initiating a process of reforms, restructuring and reinvigorating.
The task may seem herculean but it’s also a golden opportunity for the development of a strategic framework to advance multiple electoral goals as well as reconciling various factions of the party and aggrieved chieftains and regular members.
Ambassador Damagum, to our knowledge, is an experienced administrator and a good politician who is capable of the job, but the position of Party Chairman has also historically been fraught with several hydra-headed challenges that has required of its occupants to demonstrate uncommon leadership skills to succeed. Ambassador Damagum must therefore be humble about his elevated status and conduct himself with full maturity.
He should ignore dangerous counseling and bad advice from sycophants and the mediocre. These kinds of individuals will frequent the national secretariat to peddle political gossip and talk nonsense in an attempt to lure him. It’s a fact that previous party leaders were undermined by these types of activities. He must not waste his time with these ne’er-do-wells.
Ambassador Umar Damagum can recall how viable and formidable PDP used to be in its heydays. It was well organised and its leadership and members were patriotic. Forner principal officers and establishment staff at Wadata Plaza did great work for the party and country. A sad contrast exists today with bitter divisions and disharmony which has severely weakened the party.
Umar Damagum should remember that PDP once controlled all the states of the federation, with the exception of Lagos, Borno and Yobe. Unfortunately, following the debacle of the last elections, it will now be in control of only 10 states in Nigeria. Chronologically, former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR lost in 2015; and former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, GCON lost twice in 2019 and 2023.
Feckless politicians around Atiku were responsible for his repeated failures at the polls and he seem to do nothing about it. Undoubtedly, It can reasonably be posited, based on the facts available, that poor elections management, misleading information, inexperienced and unpopular politicians, charlatans, and disunity among party chieftains brought the party to this unfortunate nadir.
There are many other challenges faced PDP that need to be addressed by Ambassador Damagum. The ward, local government and state chapters of the party, particularly in the North especially in Borno, Kano and Katsina are in disarray. The last presidential election was sabotaged in Borno by the PDP chieftains themselves, the few of them shared election funds and allowed Atiku failed. Some States in the North, have been beset with litigation arising from political disagreements. He must find a way to help resolve the issues amicably.
The Acting National Chairman must prioritize reconciliation as his immediate objective; and commitment, loyalty, patriotism as the core values and bedrock of a rebuilt party. On these bases thus can a genuine reconciliation occur among party chieftains, and various formidable groups such as the G5 Governors, The Integrity Group, and The Positive Contact Initiative members. Disenchanted party members who were sidelined by greedy and unpatriotic leadership at all levels should be extended the olive branch of reconciliation that will birth a new PDP that rededicates itself to winning the trust of Nigerians again.
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A wise tactical move by Ambassador Umar Damagum could be his convening of a special session of critical stakeholders (an enlarged National Executive Committee, the Board Of Trustees and recognised party men and women) to discuss all the burning issues currently bedeviling the party. He could find recommendations arising from the special session useful in decisions making process.
Ambassador Damagum needs to work with committed officers and regular members of the party to successfully carry out the Herculean task before him. He must use his leadership skills to achieve genuine reconciliation and offer amicable political solutions that provide an enabling environment that will facilitate good interactions and social cohesion among members nationwide.
Effective implementation requires strategies and skills grounded in political experience, motivation, commitment, diplomacy, communicating clearly, empathy and social justice. These separate good leaders from the awful leaders.
Ambassador Damagum can expect to assert crucial influence in the PDP and undergird his mission success if he deploys the aforementioned skills in his work. According to John C Maxwell, “Leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less.” Matthew Uzukwu, in his book ‘Leadership Skills and Entrepreneurship,’ showed how leadership skills can be applied to entrepreneurial management to achieve success. The synthesis of leadership and entrepreneurship is not exclusive to business enterprises.
It is also relevant to general organizational leadership, such as a political party. The PDP currently needs honed leadership skills approach akin to what an entrepreneur would do to turn his failing business around towards success. I strongly recommend this book not only to Ambassador Damagum, but also to all political and nonpolitical leaders, including aspiring and current entrepreneurs.
Leadership is influence, as defined by Maxwell. As such, the YobeState-bornn Damagum must use his diplomatic relations and political influence as an added advantage in running the party. The experience acquired from his previous assignments as Ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary, and his long service in the banking industry, prepared him for Herculean tasks and conflict resolution. His service comes at a most critical time for the PDP and the country at large.
God save Nigeria.
