PDP not dysfunctional, party organs intact – Chieftain

A Lagos State chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ), Dr Adetokunbo Pearse, says the former ruling party is not dysfunctional  in spite of the current leadership crisis in the party.

Pearse, a former member of the Atiku Abubakar 2023 Presidential Campaign Committee (PCC), said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday.

Pearse,the  State Coordinator of Support Groups for the Atiku/Okowa Presidential Campaign in 2023 ,said that PDP would overcome its challenges and rise before the 2027 general elections.

“There are some issues  in the PDP political family, but the same can be said of every political party here in Nigeria and indeed everywhere else in the world.

“I have just returned from a three-day visit to Abuja, and I can confirm that the National Head Office of the PDP and all offices of the party are functioning as normal.

“The attempt to portray the PDP as a dysfunctional organisation is the handiwork of APC detractors and propagandists.

“They are afraid that the current situation in the country will surely give Nigerians an option to vote in a PDP government in 2027,” he said.

Clarifying some things in the party, Pearse said that there had never been an attempt by any of the party’s  structures to remove Amb. Umar Damagun from his office as the Acting National Chairman of the party.

According to him, if the Board of Trustees, the Governors Forum, and the National Executive Committee of the party decide that Damagun should step aside, he will leave, so long as there is no objection from the courts.

“The notion that Damagun must go immediately and by any means is the propaganda work of anti -Damagun factions, who are not constrained by constitutional guidelines or obligated to obey court injunctions,” he said.

On the conflict around the PDP National Secretary position, Pearse said that constitutionally, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu had lost his position as the National Secretary of the PDP, saying that courts had affirmed it.

“Anyanwu’s refusal to physically vacate the office does not alter the fact that he no longer represents the party in any way.

“He cannot sign any document on behalf of the party, and recently when he summoned a meeting of the National Working Committee, nobody showed up.

“Clearly,Sunday Udeh – Okoye is the Acting National Secretary of the PDP, who will serve out the remainder of the term as was initially zoned to the South East Geopolitical Zone,” Pearse said.

NAN reports that the former ruling party has been battling with leadership  crises right from the build up to the 2015 general elections .

“The crises  have affected  the party’s performance in both general and off-cycle elections.