Nigeria: PDP Lawmakers Say Party Must Take Back Aso Rock, Give Govt Ultimatum On Insecurity

The lawmakers said they remain united despite recent demand by some members for the resignation of the party's acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) caucus in the House of Representatives has asked the leadership of the party to close ranks and set its sights on winning back the presidency.

The lawmakers said it is the birthright of the PDP to occupy the Presidential Villa and must be taken back in subsequent election

Leader of the caucus, Kingsley Chinda, stated this on Tuesday while briefing journalists after a meeting of the party's caucus at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja.

The PDP was in control of the national government for 16 years - between 1999 and 2015, when it was defeated by the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Flanked by other members of the caucus, Mr Chinda, also the minority leader of the House, called for unconditional loyalty from the leadership of the PDP.

"We call on our leaders, leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party, to continue to demonstrate unconditional loyalty to the party and ensure that the party is moved to abide or place where she enjoyed the position of the largest party in Africa and to take back the Aso Villa which is supposed to be our birthright," Mr Chinda said.

Crack in the PDP.....

Mr Chinda, a political ally of the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, is facing an open rebellion from some members of the caucus.

A group of five PDP lawmakers led by Ikenga Ugochinyere, a member from Imo State, recently demanded the removal of the Acting National Chairman of the PDP, Umar Damagum.

Mr Ugochinyere-led group is believed to be acting at the behest of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and is moving to break Mr Chinda's hold on the minority caucus.

The group had, during a briefing last week, threatened to pull out of the PDP if Mr Damagum continued to stay on as the acting national chairman of the opposition party.

Mr Ugochinyere attended Tuesday's caucus meeting but left before the press briefing.

He had planned to hold another press conference after the meeting but later cancelled it.

We remain united--Chinda

Mr Chinda told journalists that the PDP caucus remains united with all issues sorted out.

He stated that the caucus will focus on its core function of serving as the "watchdog" on behalf of the people.

"We have just concluded the third meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party Caucus in the 10th assembly, and we have resolved firstly to tell all of us and the world that the PDP caucus in the House of Representatives remains united, indivisible, committed and out to perform her duty as the watchdog on behalf of the Nigerian people," Mr Chinda said.

The opposition lawmakers also agreed to "call on all party caucuses, the board of trustees, national executive committee and the national working committee of the party to embark on reconciliatory measures with the view to resolve all litigations that are pending and that have hindered the parties in any way whatsoever from having a substantive national chairman."

Caucus gives three-month ultimatum to FG to end insecurity

The caucus also issued a three-month ultimatum to the federal government to address general insecurity in the country.

Mr Chinda said if the federal government fails to address insecurity after the three-month ultimatum, the caucus would mobilise Nigerians to take their security into their own hands.

"In the same vein, we x-rayed the security situation in our country, and we resolved that we can no longer take this situation where Nigeria is today almost tagged as one life, one-minute silence.

"The government is therefore called upon to immediately take steps to ensure that the security situation in the country is normalised, and the caucus has also given a three-month ultimatum for the government to normalise the security situation in our country.

"After three months, the caucus will take further steps to sensitise and Mobilise Nigerians to perhaps take their security into their hands," he said.

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