* Explains why FCT minister was at caucus
Chuks Okocha in Abuja
Senate Minority Leader, Abba Moro, has said the acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),Umar Damagum, survived the plot to remove him last week, because the relevant stakeholders of the party unanimously agreed to save his job.
Moro also said the national caucus of the party allowed the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, into its meeting last week because he had not been found guilty of any crime to warrant being penalised by the party.
Moro, who represents Benue South Senatorial District reacted to reports in some quarters that Damagum’s survival, against call for his resignation, was victory for Wike, and a defeat for PDP presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Atiku Abubakar.
Moro who spoke on Arise News Television Saturday night, said the activities and inactivity of PDP should not be translated to Atiku and Wike, saying the whole issue was not about victory or defeat for anybody but about PDP about providing an alternative formidable platform for Nigerians to look up to.
According to the Senate minority leader, “We cannot translate the entirety of PDP’s activities to Wike and Atiku, out of millions of other members of the party across the country who also have their own thinking and reasons for being in the party.
“The whole issue was not about Wike or Atiku, or victory for Wike or defeat for Atiku, the issue was existential. We came together and reasoned together, that in the present scenario where Nigerians are hurting due to the maladministration of the APC government, what do we do to provide an alternative platform for Nigerians to look up to? In that circumstances, we decided to thread with caution so that we don’t throw away the baby with the bath water,” he said.
On Wike, he said if the party’s disciplinary committee, headed by Senator Bukola Saraki found Wike guilty of the alleged antiparty activities and sanctioned him, he will stop attending the party’s meetings.
“The constitution of our party is very clear on who is a member and who is not a member of the caucus of the party and I dare say, at this point, that as a former governor, who is still a member of the party, Nyesom Wike, is a member of the National Caucus of the party.
“If actions had been taken immediately after the elections and people who are perceived to have acted contrary to the desires and yearnings of the PDP have been sanctioned, then we can say that having been expelled or suspended, you can’t be here. but as it is, non of such actions has been taken, so you can’t just ban people from attending meetings.
On expectations from the next NEC meeting scheduled for August 15, he said the party’s constitution had a well spelt out succession plan.
