A former member of the House of Representatives, Hon Dagogo Farah, has described the outcome of the 98th meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as another demonstration of the resilience of the party to weather any storm that comes its way.
In the build up to the NEC meeting, suggestions and permutations had been rife of the likelihood of the PDP running into another round of crisis as the party tries to navigate a path for the North Central Zone in producing the substantive national chairman to complete the truncated tenure of the former chairman, Dr Iyiorchia Ayu.
Dagogo, in a statement made available to newsmen in Port Harcourt yesterday, said those who genuinely have the best interests of the party at heart made timely sacrifices to keep the party firm and afloat.
The former federal lawmaker said but for the political maturity and sagacity employed by the PDP national leader and former vice president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, along with other leaders, before and during the NEC meeting, the party would have ‘played into the hands of some individuals, who wanted the party to implode for them to improve their political fortunes.’
He expressed optimism that by the adjourned date of August, the party’s acting national chairman, Umar Damagum would have seen that it is in the best interest of the party for him to vacate the position for a more purposeful and result-oriented leadership.
Dagogo said: “For me, the outcome of the NEC Meeting was a win-win situation. Against all odds, the party came out unscathed and will continue to wax stronger.
“Yes, the acting chairman retained his position, but it is obvious to him now and others that it would be in the best interest of the party for him to vacate that position for a more purposeful and result-oriented leadership by August.
“The so-called tension generated in the buildup to the NEC meeting was actually orchestrated by the inordinate desire of some few individuals who wanted to thwart the sterling call by party faithful for a review of its failing leadership and directionless.”
