The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has been a dominating political party in Nigeria’s political space since its establishment in 1998.
The PDP was the ruling party from 1999 to 2015 in Nigeria and it has been faced with internal and leadership crises since its electoral defeat at the national level. So far, the party has struggled to reclaim its influence.
PDP challenges after the 2023 general election
Following the end of the 2023 general election, the PDP further had the challenges of division, while the majority of its members are calling for structural reforms and accountability from its leader.
Amid the crisis, Umar Damagum was appointed as the acting national chairman of the party in March 2023 after its Iyorchia Ayu was removed from the position. Damagum’s tenure had been marred with calls for his removal, particularly from members who insisted that North Central should retain the position to complete the tenure of Ayu.
Amid the controversy, a Facebook user with the name @News in Naija in a post on March 15. The post included an image of Damagum, with a caption suggesting that acting PDP national chairman had resigned.
Facebook post claimed on PDP governors
The post claimed that the PDP governors have taken charge of the party as Damagum has stepped down. The Facebook post cited Arise TV as its source, adding that the development happened amid the PDP governors’ effort to strengthen the party.
The poster reads in part:
“Damagum’s resignation is seen as a strategic move to restore unity and address internal challenges within the party. The PDP has faced internal disputes and leadership struggles in recent times, prompting calls for restructuring and a renewed commitment to its founding principles.”
See one of the posts as shared here:
Furthermore, the post claimed that the PDP governors were making moves to unite the party ahead of the 2027 election, saying Damagum’s resignation was strategic to their plan of restructuring. The Facebook post said the governors wanted to present a united front in the 2027 general election.
The post has received comments, shares, likes and reposts by several others on Facebook. However, because of the ambiguity of the claim, Dubawa, a fact-checking organisation, has fact-checked the claim and verified its authenticity.
According to Dubara, there was no such report on AriseTV, the medium that the Facebook post mentioned as its source. Also, Damagum was said to have denied the claim in a news report published by Business Day, where he urged Nigerians to regard it as “fake news”.
Bode George speaks on PDP fate
Legit.ng earlier reported that the PDP’s fate in the 2027 presidential election had been predicted to be stronger ahead of the poll with the hope that its internal crisis would be solved before then.
