Except for any last-minute changes, Atiku Abubakar’s supporters within the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) are advocating for the former Senate President, David Mark, to assume the position of the party’s next National Chairman.
Recalling the events in March 2023, when the National Chairman of the PDP, Iyorchia Ayu, was suspended at the ward level in Benue State, the party has been without a permanent Chairman since then.
In the interim, Umar Ililya Damagum has taken on the role of acting National Chairman following Ayu’s suspension. However, reports suggest that supporters of Atiku are expressing unease regarding his leadership.
The group supporting the former Vice President expressed dissatisfaction with Damagum’s appointment, as they perceive him to be closely associated with a former governor of Rivers State and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, who is serving in the All Progressives Congress (APC) government.
Sources that spoke with journalists believe Mark if appointed as the next Chairman has the capacity to deal with renegade party members who are involved in anti-party activities.
Some supporters of Atiku, along with former Jigawa governor Sule Lamido, former Niger governor Babangida Aliyu, and former minister Adamu Maina Waziri, contemplated taking action against the acting chairman. However, they eventually reconsidered their plans due to concerns about potential negative repercussions.
A former governor told newsmen “You would expect the PDP to have suspended or expelled Wike by now for his anti-party activities, worsened by his acceptance of a ministerial appointment from a rival party.
“But it is very clear that the national working committee is in Wike’s pocket, so we should not expect any form of discipline in the party.”
