By Sunday Ani
A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former Senior Special Assistant on Media to former Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, Ben Atu, has accused the party’s national chairman, Umar Damagum, of abandoning the dethroned local government chairmen in Edo State.
Atu criticised Damagum for repeating the same mistakes he was appointed to rectify, claiming the party has been left adrift with no efforts made to reconcile aggrieved members. He condemned Damagum’s role in the Rivers State PDP crisis, highlighting his directive to the deputy national publicity secretary, Ibrahim Abdullahi, to issue a disclaimer against the national publicity secretary, Debo Ologunagba. Damagum had reportedly attacked Ologunagba for affirming the National Working Committee’s (NWC) acceptance of a court verdict recognising Governor Siminalaye Fubara’s faction as the authentic 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.
Expressing concern over political party operations in Nigeria, Atu described them as “hustle associations” controlled by self-proclaimed leaders benefiting from political crises. He blamed the fragile state of the PDP on a lack of political commitment to national causes and decried the victimisation of Ologunagba for supporting Governor Fubara’s faction.
Atu criticised Damagum’s leadership, stating, “The duty of a leader is to bring sides together. Damagum’s posture shows he is serving peculiar interests, not the party’s. A national chairman should lead from the front, but he has failed.”
He lamented the ongoing crisis in Edo State, where 18 local government council chairmen were illegally removed, and accused the national leadership of ignoring the situation. 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.
