Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ambassador Umar Damagum, has confirmed that some members of the party are after him because of the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike.
Damagum, who admitted his closeness to Wike, also denied allegations of working with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to undermine his party.
In an interview with BBC Hausa, he said some of the party members were against him for not allowing them to do what they wanted with him (Wike).
Damagum also defended his relationship with former Rivers State Governor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, following criticism by some party members that he is working with Wike to destroy the PDP.
There have been calls for Wike to be expelled from the party owing to his open anti-party during the 2023 presidential election where he jettisoned the then PDP candidate, Atiku Abubakar and instead worked for President Bola Bola Tinubu of the APC.
He has also declared that he will work for Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.
Many party members are worried that he had gotten away with his actions against the party.
But Damagun, who reaffirmed his loyalty to the PDP, had this to say:
“May God judge us, if I am working for the APC.
"I have a history, since I joined the PDP in 1999, I have never defected. Those who dislike me will have to find ways to either praise or criticise me to get what they want.
“For all those who accuse me of having links with the Minister of FCT, I know him or have had links with him, and many of them have had links with him.
“My only fault here is that I did not allow them to do what they wanted with him.”
He also spoke on the wave of defection that has hit the party.
“We must be sad. Whenever you lose someone, you don’t feel happy, even if it’s just one person you’re grieving for.
“PDP is one. There are internal problems, because a party never lacks problems because its leaders are people, and people are in it, and everyone has their own interests,” he stated.