The Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ambassador Umar Damagum, has strongly denied allegations suggesting he is in league with the All Progressives Congress (APC) to sabotage the opposition party.
In a recent interview with BBC Hausa, Damagum dismissed rumours that he had secretly aligned with the ruling APC and met with President Bola Tinubu in the United Kingdom.
“May God judge me if I am working for the APC,” Damagum declared, reaffirming his loyalty to the PDP.
He defended his longstanding membership in the party, noting that he had never defected since joining in 1999.
“I have a history. Since I joined the PDP in 1999, I have never left,” he said. “Those who dislike me will always look for something to say.”
Damagum also addressed criticisms over his relationship with former Rivers State Governor and current FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.
“For those accusing me of having links with Wike, they too have links with him. My only offence is that I didn’t let them use him the way they wanted,” he said.
Reacting to the defection of some PDP members to the APC, Damagum expressed regret and called it a painful loss.
“Even losing one person should make us sad. But none of them can say the party wronged them,” he added.
He acknowledged internal disagreements within the PDP but insisted that such issues are normal in any political party.
“PDP is one. Every party has problems because people are involved, and people come with different interests,” he explained.
On his leadership style, Damagum maintained that he follows principles rather than yielding to pressures from individuals or factions.
“I will not allow anyone to push me into doing what’s wrong,” he stated firmly.
