PDP Crisis: House Minority Leaders Disown 60 Lawmakers

Sixty members of parliament who on Monday demanded the resignation of Umar Damagum, the Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, for suspected anti-party activities, were disowned by the minority leaders of the House of Representatives, who include representatives from all opposition parties.

On Monday in Abuja, 60 lawmakers operating under the banner of the Coalition of Opposition Lawmakers threatened to leave the PDP if Damagum did not step down from his position to allow for the appointment of a new acting chairman from the North Central region, which is home to the party's suspended national chairman, senator Iyorchia Ayu.

In a statement released and co-signed on Tuesday by the caucus leader and minority leader, Kingsley Chinda; deputy minority leader, Ali Madaki; minority whip, Ali Isah; and deputy minority whip, George Ozodinobi, the lawmakers responded by describing the Ikenga Ugochinyere-led coalition as an entity unknown to the parliament.

The statement clarifies that the minority caucus and the PDP caucus disassociate themselves from the press announcement in question, stating that the group's press release has garnered attention.

The parliament is unaware of the aforementioned coalition of MPs led by Ikenga Ugochinyere, and both caucuses fully denounce the ridiculous action as well as the group's impolite and unparliamentary tone.

The people should be aware that the parliament is unaware of this coalition and that their demands do not reflect those of the minority parties.

The mentioned lawmakers ought to stop spreading additional false information to the public and act more honorably.

The fact that Chinda, a well-known ally of Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike, who is at odds with Governor Siminalaiye Fubara for control of Rivers State, was not present at Monday's briefing indicated that the division is far from resolved.