PDP Leaders’ US Embassy Protest Draws Criticism from Ex-Governor Fayose
Former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose has condemned the demonstration held Thursday at the United States Embassy in Abuja by members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), labeling it as an embarrassing display.
In a strongly-worded statement released Thursday, Fayose characterized the protest as the desperate final actions of what he termed a “dead National Working Committee of tax collectors.” He suggested that instead of staging a demonstration outside the US Embassy in Abuja, the suspended National Chairman Umar Iliya Damagum and his supporters should have taken their grievances directly to Washington DC.
The former governor questioned the logic of seeking foreign intervention in Nigeria’s internal party affairs, specifically challenging why American and European nations should be tasked with resolving PDP’s organizational issues. He pointed to recent legal developments, noting that a court ruling last Friday mandated the PDP to complete various processes, including pending State Congress, before proceeding with any National Convention.
Fayose criticized the party leadership’s response to these challenges, highlighting their decision to suspend key National Working Committee members, including the National Secretary – the sole official authorized to issue meeting notices. He also addressed the controversy surrounding the party’s legal representation, emphasizing that the PDP constitution explicitly grants such authority exclusively to the National Legal Adviser.
The former governor’s remarks come amid ongoing internal tensions within Nigeria’s main opposition party, with particular focus on what he describes as leadership’s failure to address organizational issues through proper constitutional channels before seeking external intervention.
The situation underscores deeper divisions within the PDP as it grapples with internal governance challenges and questions about its leadership structure.
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