Ben Atu, a former senior special assistant on media to former Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki and a prominent member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has accused the party’s national chairman, Umar Damagum, of deserting the deposed local government chairmen in Edo State.
Atu said the party has been left adrift with no attempts made to make amends with resentful members, and he criticized Damagum for making the same faults he was chosen to correct. He denounced Damagum’s involvement in the Rivers State PDP problem, emphasizing that he had instructed Ibrahim Abdullahi, the deputy national publicity secretary, to issue a disclaimer against Debo Ologunagba, the national publicity secretary.
According to reports, Damagum had criticized Ologunagba for upholding the National Working Committee’s (NWC) decision to accept a court decision that acknowledged Governor Siminalaye Fubara’s group as the legitimate Rivers State executive.
“If the national chairman can be proactive in countering Fubara’s victory, why did he not issue the same order for solidarity a month after Edo State local government chairmen were removed? If he is a unifier, he would not have issued a counter-directive to the national publicity secretary’s statement. His special interest in Rivers State’s case needs explanation,” Atu said.
Atu voiced concerns about the way political parties operate in Nigeria, characterizing them as “hustle associations” run by self-declared leaders who profit off political upheavals.
He criticized Ologunagba’s victimization for backing Governor Fubara’s side and attributed the PDP’s precarious situation to a lack of political dedication to national concerns. “The duty of a leader is to bring sides together,” Atu said in criticism of Damagum’s leadership. Damagum’s stance indicates that he is acting in his own personal interests rather than the party’s. A national chairman ought to take the initiative, but he hasn’t done that.
He criticized the national leadership for failing to address the continuing problem in Edo State, where 18 local government council chairmen were forcibly ousted. Atu noted that despite violence at the Edo State Election Tribunal and the APC’s forcible takeover of the state party secretariat, the national chairman remained silent, yet swiftly countered Gov. Fubara’s faction within 24 hours.
Atu accused Damagum of destabilising the PDP through Machiavellian tactics and emphasised that political parties should unite, not divide. He warned against the crude handling of party affairs, which has led to defections, and urged the leadership to focus on resolving crises rather than amplifying them.
“The purpose of leadership is to resolve crises, not to immerse the party in lamentations. The PDP must rebuild from its ruins to restore public trust ahead of the 2027 general election. Leadership should not indulge in pomp and vainglory,” Atu concluded.
