Former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has dismissed the protest staged by some members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the United States Embassy in Abuja, describing it as “the disgusting last kick of a dead National Working Committee (NWC) of tax collectors.”
Fayose, in a statement issued on Thursday, said the suspended PDP National Chairman, Umar Iliya Damagum, and his team had no moral ground to lead such a protest, accusing them of turning the party into a platform for personal gain rather than democratic reform.
According to him, “Instead of going to the US Embassy in Abuja to carry placards, Damagum and his gang of tax collectors should have travelled to Washington to go and protest in front of the White House.”
The former governor questioned why the internal crisis within the PDP should become the concern of foreign governments, especially the United States and other European nations. He asked, “Is it anyone’s responsibility that Damagum and his gang of political undertakers failed to follow the PDP constitution?”
Fayose’s comments come days after a court ruling directed the PDP to complete outstanding state congresses before convening a national convention.
He faulted the suspended leadership for compounding the party’s woes instead of uniting members. “Rather than coming back home to take proper stock and bring all stakeholders together, they chose to announce the suspension of major members of the NWC, including the National Secretary, who’s the only person authorised to issue notice of meetings,” he said.
Fayose also criticised the legal battles among the PDP’s factions, describing them as acts of impunity. He stated, “Before then, they went to court to throw punches over legal representation of the party, despite that it is clearly stated in the constitution of the party that it is only the National Legal Adviser that has powers to represent or appoint lawyers to represent the party in court cases. So, how is the consequence of their impunity the business of the US or anyone?”
The former governor urged party members to focus on rebuilding the PDP from within rather than seeking validation from foreign entities.
