Yayari Mohammed vows to rebuild unity, restore confidence in PDP
Yayari Mohammed, the newly appointed factional acting national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has vowed to rebuild the confidence of party members and restore the party’s reputation as a strong and effective opposition. In a statement issued on Sunday, Mohammed expressed his gratitude to the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) for appointing him to lead the effort to rekindle the hope and aspirations of PDP members.
Mohammed emphasized that his primary goal is to address the growing disillusionment among party members. He acknowledged that internal conflicts, driven by personal or political interests of some leaders within the NWC, have weakened the PDP’s ability to function effectively as an opposition party. According to him, these personal agendas have been prioritized over the collective goals of the party, causing a decline in its performance on the national stage.
READ ALSO: PDP appoints Yayari Ahmed Mohammed as acting National Chairman
“This situation continues to hamper the party’s effectiveness, preventing it from fulfilling its role as the platform Nigerians admire and rely on. Our party’s constitution, amended in 2017, and the achievements of the PDP during its sixteen years in government—fondly remembered as the golden era of governance in Nigeria—are key assets we must leverage,” Mohammed said in his statement.
He explained that his appointment as the acting national chairman on Thursday, October 10, 2024, reflects the NWC’s commitment to revitalizing the party in line with the vision of its founding fathers. Mohammed said his mandate is to restore the confidence of the party’s members, particularly the youth, stakeholders, and Nigerians at large, who expect the PDP to play an effective opposition role in the country’s democracy.
Mohammed also outlined his plan to be guided by the party’s constitution in all his decisions, ensuring fairness to all members, regardless of their status, position, or state. He noted that such an approach would foster loyalty and commitment among the party’s supporters. “My immediate focus is to set in motion the process to hold the long-overdue National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of our party, already scheduled for Thursday, October 24, 2024,” he added.
READ ALSO: PDP NWC faction suspends National Chairman Damagum, Secretary
Deepening Crisis in the PDP
The PDP has been entangled in internal conflict since 2022, with ongoing disagreements polarizing the party and its leadership. The crisis escalated on Thursday when one faction of the NWC suspended the party’s acting national chairman, Umar Damagum, and national secretary, Samuel Anyanwu. In response, another faction suspended Kamaldeen Ajibade, the national legal adviser, and Debo Ologunagba, the national spokesperson.
On Friday, the faction loyal to Ologunagba appointed Yayari Mohammed as the party’s new acting national chairman. However, this move was quickly challenged when a federal high court in Abuja issued an injunction restraining the PDP’s National Executive Committee (NEC) and Board of Trustees (BoT) from removing Damagum from his position. In his ruling, presiding judge Peter Lifu ordered that no one other than Damagum should be recognized as the acting national chairman until the party’s convention in December 2025.
The ongoing legal battles and internal rifts have further complicated the leadership dynamics within the PDP, raising concerns about the party’s ability to resolve its internal issues and regain its footing as a leading political force in Nigeria.
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