Damagum to Edwin Clark: Elder statesmen shouldn’t be sentimental… be father to all

Umar Damagum, the acting national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), says Edwin Clark, leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), should refrain from being sentimental about the political crisis in Rivers state.

Damagum, who spoke on Wednesday in Abuja, was reacting to a recent letter addressed to him by Clark over the Rivers crisis.

In the letter, Clark said Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), needs to leave the PDP for the opposition party to survive.

The PANDEF leader also accused Damagum of being a “tool in the hands” of Wike to “bring down” the government of Siminalayi Fubara, governor of Rivers state.

“The obvious anti-party activities of you and the national secretary, both of whom are obviously tools in the hands of Barr. Nyesom Wike, used with all intention to bring down the government of Siminalayi Fubara, the executive governor of Rivers State, as confessed by Barr. Wike himself during his recent outing at Ogu/Bolo Local Government Area, the local government of Sen. George Sekibo, is palpable,” Clark wrote in the letter.

Wike and Fubara have been at loggerheads over the control of the political structures in Rivers, resulting in a crisis that has polarised the state house of assembly.

While inaugurating the reconciliation and disciplinary committees at the PDP headquarters, Damagum said he cannot be pressured to resign from his position as the party’s national chairman.

“Let me send a message to everyone talking about Damagum… I cannot be intimidated. The more you mention me, the more popular I become,” Damagum said.

“I will borrow Olisah Metuh’s remarks from 2015 when Edwin Clark left the party.

“There’s no doubt that he is an elder statesman. But I thought that when you reach that age, God has given you the opportunity and wisdom to be a father to all, (you) don’t engage in public arguments.

“He has all it takes to do the needful. Not by taking a sentimental approach to the situation. I was not raised to be disrespectful to elders, so, I don’t intend to dwell on this further.”