…Says other party leaders kept in the dark about agreement.
By Jeremy Fregene
Former Governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam, yesterday made startling revelations against the leadership of the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP), including their alleged deals with Federal Capital Territory minister, Nyesom Wike.
While revealing that other party leaders were kept in the dark about the arrangements with Wike, he urged the PDP’s leadership to honour its commitments if indeed it made them to the FCT minister.
Suswam, who also served as a senator on the platform of the then ruling party, said the PDP is effectively in a political Intensive Care Unit (ICU), because its leaders lack capacity and the transparency required to lead. He noted that without urgent reform, the party risks total collapse.
He maintained that the PDP’s leadership has failed to show direction, unity, and honour in resolving internal conflicts, particularly in their handling of issues related to Wike and the crisis in Rivers State.
The ex-governor was especially critical of the so-called secret agreement between some PDP governors and Wike, which included the recognition of Samuel Anyanwu as National Secretary and the withdrawal of all court actions connected to Rivers State.
He revealed that the deal was reached without consultation or input from key stakeholders and was never discussed at the broader party meeting held two weeks ago.
“I keep emphasising this without sounding like a broken record. I talked about leadership. Even at the family level, if we don’t have good leadership, that family is doomed. What has happened to PDP basically is that of leadership, lack of capacity on the part of the leadership of the party. They have had secret meetings. The FCT minister mentioned it. He said there was a meeting in Lagos, he was invited. They had an agreement in Lagos. There was another meeting in Abuja, in the house of a former Senate President, where those agreements were consolidated.
“But when we were called, former governors and current governors, about two weeks ago to a meeting, none of this was before us. Nobody knew that there were secret meetings where agreements were reached with the FCT minister. If you engage somebody in an agreement, you invite somebody and you engage him, it is only honourable that you honour the agreement. If you are not interested, why do that in the first place?
“So I don’t blame the FCT minister for what he’s saying. It’s dishonourable for me to call you and agree on something with you at my level, and then I renege without reference to you. So I don’t blame him. It is the lack of capacity of the leadership. And the leadership has not been straight with party followers,” he noted.
Suswam particularly took issue with how the agreement ignored the decision of the Southeast PDP, which had already nominated a replacement National Secretary and communicated it to the party’s national secretariat. He said such disregard reveals the extent to which the zone is being sidelined in party affairs.
“The Southeast as a bloc has met a couple of times, has decided that they want a new secretary of the party, have even nominated that person, have forwarded a letter to the headquarters of PDP. That is as a bloc. So if I’m going to engage in an agreement that would deviate from what the Southeast has done, they would have been involved. Or some of the stakeholders there would have been involved. I don’t think they were involved for them to take that decision because quite frankly, it’s confusing to me.”
According to Suswam, this pattern of exclusion and backroom dealings has not only fractured the party internally but also damaged public trust in its ability to serve as a credible opposition ahead of the 2027 elections.
Meanwhile, the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday stepped down discussions on the contentious national secretary position of the party till June 30.
The party’s acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, disclosed while reading the communique issued after the party’s 99th NEC meeting in Abuja.
Damagum said that NEC received the resolution of the South-East General Executive with regard to the national secretary position.
He said that the meeting, however, agreed that the issue be considered and deliberated upon in the next NEC meeting slated for June 30.
The PDP South-East Zonal Executive Committee had, on May 21, submitted its resolution nominating former National Youth Leader, Sunday Udeh-Okoye, as the party’s National Secretary to replace Sen. Samuel Anyanwu.
The party has been embroiled in a leadership crisis over the rightful occupier of the office of the national secretary, as Anyanwu and Udeh-Okoye continue to lay claim to the office.
Damagum said that NEC also received and ratified the composition of the committee on the zoning of national offices, ahead of the party’s national convention.
Members of the zoning committee, according to him, are Gov. Douye Diri of Bayelsa (Chairman), Gov. Dauda Lawal of Zamfara (Vice Chairman), and Gov. Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau (Secretary).
He also named members of the National Convention Committee to include Gov. Ahmadu Fintiri (Chairman), Gov. Ademola Adeleke (Vice Chairman), and Gov. Peter Mbah (Secretary).
Damagum said that NEC thoroughly examined the state of affairs in the nation and within the party. He expressed concern over security challenges, including banditry, kidnapping, and attacks on communities in various parts of the country.
He said that NEC also lamented the economic hardship and poverty level occasioned by the hike in fuel prices, increase in electricity tariffs, and multiple taxes and called on President Tinubu to take practical steps toward addressing insecurity and the economic situation of the country.
The acting national chairman restated the party’s belief in democracy, rule of law, and the supremacy of the will of the people, as expressed through their free and unhindered democratic participation in multi-party politics and governance.
He noted that the successful convening of the NEC meeting was a clear demonstration of the party’s unity and focus, despite the challenges.
Damagum reassured Nigerians that PDP remains strong, resilient, united, and determined now more than ever before in leading the charge to rescue Nigeria.