Damagum to Kwankwaso: Return to PDP and work with us to challenge Tinubu

Umar Damagum, the acting chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), says there is a possibility that Rabiu Kwankwaso, former governor of Kano state, will return to the opposition party.

Damagum spoke in an interview published on Tuesday by BBC Hausa.

Damagum’s remarks came days after Kwankwaso said he has no agreement with former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, ex-governor of Anambra state, for the 2027 presidential election.

Kwankwaso had previously criticised the PDP, describing it as a “dead party”.

However, Damagum said despite Kwankwaso’s criticism of the party, he is hopeful that the former governor will rejoin the PDP to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the next election.

Damagum said the PDP is ready to accept the return of any member who left the party.

“A person can express his opinion, but I want to remind him of the past when they left the PDP in 2015. If she (PDP) was not dead, then when they felt they had harmed her, then I see no reason to say she is dead now,” he said.

“And don’t forget that the PDP is the only party that can win elections if the incumbent must be removed.

“Kwankwaso’s frustrations are valid in some respects, but there is no better platform for him than the PDP.

“This party nurtured his political career and brought him to where he is today. We hope he will return to work with us to rebuild the party and confront this oppressive government.”

Kwankwaso has been in and out of the PDP since 2015. He has not returned to the party after leaving in March 2022.

Kwankwaso was the presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in the 2023 elections.

Damagum has been persuading former members of the PDP to return to the party.

In June, Damagum said he wants Obi, the standard-bearer of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 elections, to rejoin the party.

Obi left the PDP for the LP in June 2022.