By Folorunso Alagbede, in Abuja
The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has vowed to recover its mandate from the governor of Delta State, Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori and members of the state House of Assembly who last week decamped from the party for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The acting National Chairman of the party who disclosed this while briefing journalists at the end of the meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC) at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, said that PDP legal team has been instructed to commence the process of recovering the party’s mandate taken to the ruling party.
Damagum declared that the people of Delta State freely gave their mandates to the PDP, stressing that whenever the holders of the mandates decide to leave the party, it is constitutional to relinquish the mandates to the people and the party because they hold such mandates in trust for the people.
The acting chairman said that the defectors including the party’s 2023 vice presidential candidate, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa did not have justifiable reason for defecting.
According to him, “you can see that the party is intact, we just held our NWC (National Working Committee) meeting without any rancour.So, no one can claim he left the party on the ground of crisis”.
Damagum expressed firm optimism that Nigerians will decide which party they prefer and which candidate will govern them in 2027, adding that “election is not win by party leaders but by electorate”.
Speaking on the issue of secretaryship position, he said Arc. Setonji Koshedo is the acting National Secretary in line with the recommendations of the PDP Governors Forum at their recent meeting in Ibadan.
Damagun also said the NWC adopted the recommendation of the governors on the August 17, 2025 national convention date.
He disclosed that the entire recommendations of the Governors Forum have been presented to the National Executive Committee (NEC) which will take final decisions on them at the next meeting.
Also speaking with Journalists, Mr. Emmanuel Ogidi, Chairman, PDP South-South Caretaker Committee, disclosed that the committee has been assigned by the NWC to oversee the affairs of the Delta State chapter of the party.
According to Ogidi, “Our job is to go there (Delta State), take stock of what is left, address members, give them confidence and then of course headhunt good people that we are going to recommend to the NWC for confirmation as members of the Caretaker Committee.
“What happened to us was a great blow, we didn’t expect it. But when something like this happens, what do you do? You take it as it is and solve the problem,” he said.
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