The acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Umar Damagum, has confirmed that the party will sanction former Rivers State Governor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike for anti-party activities.
Damagum stated this while responding to questions at a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday.
He noted that the party leadership will sanction Wike and others who were involved in anti-party activities at the right time.
Damagum said, “Our stand about Wike, I have always said this thing that as long as you are a member of the PDP, there is a time for everything. My duty is to stabilize this party and not to cause crisis. And I will continue to do that within the confines of reason.
“When things go out of hand, we will act. But meanwhile, we still see it within the ambit of the law. Mind you, we have other litigation going on in this party and we won’t want to plunge our party into another crisis.
“And let me tell you something, it’s not only Wike, there are other people who worked against this party. When we get to that level we will sanction everybody. If Wike believes he is above this party, we will be able to show him that he is not above this party.”
Damagum added that the party’s yet-to-be-inaugurated 2023 review committee will present a report and recommend appropriate sanctions against Wike and others.
They are to review what happened in 2023 and come out with a report not only about one person, but every person who has in one way or another engaged in anti-party. Then after that, we will see what kind of measure to take,” he added.
Damagum’s statement comes amid ongoing political crisis in Rivers State, a PDP-controlled state.
27 lawmakers loyal to Wike on 12th December 2023 defected to All Progressives Congress in order to impeach Governor Siminalayi Fubara who is also the Deputy Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum.
Wike, who worked against PDP presidential ticket in 2023, had also in August dared the PDP leadership to sanction him.
The former Rivers governor said he has not seen the PDP chieftain who will suspend or expel him from the party.
“Who will discipline me? I should be the one calling for the discipline of these people who violated the party’s constitution, in the way that the party supported rotation.
“Who will suspend me? I want to dare anybody,” Wike said.
Wike added that he remained a PDP chieftain despite working for the APC government. “I want to support Asiwaju (Tinubu) to finish well,” he stated.
