Umar Damagum, the Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has asserted that the party played a pivotal role in shaping the political career of Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, the 2023 presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP). Speaking in an interview with the BBC Hausa Service on Tuesday, Damagum emphasized that the PDP was instrumental in Kwankwaso’s rise to prominence.
Damagum’s comments come after a critical interview with Kwankwaso on Monday, where the NNPP presidential candidate expressed dissatisfaction with the PDP, citing the humiliation he experienced in 2015, which led to his departure from the party. Kwankwaso had previously stated that the PDP’s leadership at the time was responsible for his exit.
In response, Damagum stated that despite the challenges the PDP has faced, the party remains resilient and continues to hold significant political sway. He reminded Kwankwaso that even after his departure in 2015, the PDP did not falter, questioning why anyone would consider the party irrelevant today.
“The PDP survived even when they thought they had weakened it in 2015,” Damagum said. “If the party didn’t collapse then, I don’t see why anyone would claim it’s dead now.”
He further stressed the party’s continued strength, noting that the PDP is the only political entity capable of winning elections when excluding the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Damagum added that despite Kwankwaso’s departure, the PDP’s track record speaks volumes, as it has consistently won elections without being in power.
Highlighting the PDP’s nationwide presence, Damagum pointed to the party’s enduring structure, which has allowed it to maintain relevance and influence across the country. “The PDP is the only party that has consistently won elections without being in power,” he reiterated. “Senator Kwankwaso may have left, but how many states did he win with his new party? The facts speak for themselves.”
Damagum also addressed the idea of a possible merger between Kwankwaso’s NNPP and other parties, claiming that even if four parties were to merge, they would still be unable to defeat the PDP in an election.
“Even if four parties merge without the PDP, they cannot win an election. We’ve seen this play out repeatedly,” Damagum said. “Where are those parties now? Even their alliances with other parties have not delivered the desired results.”
While acknowledging some of Kwankwaso’s frustrations with the PDP’s past leadership, Damagum expressed a willingness for reconciliation. He emphasized that the party still values Kwankwaso’s contributions and hopes he will return to help rebuild the PDP in the face of what he described as the “oppressive” current government.
“The PDP nurtured his political career and brought him to where he is today. We still hope he will return to work with us to rebuild our party and confront this oppressive government,” Damagum concluded.
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