PDP Crisis: Stakeholders confront Dino Melaye over criticisms of party leadership

The PDP Frontliners, a group of key stakeholders within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have criticized Dino Melaye for allegedly tarnishing the party’s reputation with his criticisms of its leadership.

The group denounced former Kogi State gubernatorial candidate, Dino Melaye’s claims that under Amb. Umar Damagum’s leadership, the party has become “commercialized and privatized” as disrespectful.

In a statement issued in Abuja, signed by Alhaji Hussein Mohammed (President), Mr. Moses Abidemi (Secretary), and Mr. Dan Okafor (Publicity Secretary), they responded to Dino Melaye’s comments by alleging that ‘vultures’ both within and outside the party are seeking to exploit the party’s difficulties for their gain.

They vowed to counter these efforts as loyal party members and to work with other progressive members to ensure these detrimental ambitions fail.

The statement read in part, “The PDP is facing unusual challenges. The Kogi State gubernatorial candidate, who received substantial resources but failed to effectively mobilize politically, now has the audacity to accuse the party of being undermined by the very officials who helped secure his governorship ticket and convinced others to step aside.

“Many who have benefitted from the PDP are now among its greatest issues. Dino Melaye was given a PDP ticket for the House of Representatives and later a senatorial ticket, despite his return from the APC and the stepping aside of other qualified candidates. His baseless criticisms are his way of repaying the party.”

PDP Crisis: Stakeholders confront Dino Melaye over criticisms of party leadership

The group accused Melaye of insulting Kogi State and the PDP by ignoring his own shortcomings and unfairly blaming the party’s acting National Chairman, Umar Iliya Damagum, National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, and National Organizing Secretary, Umar Bature, for the party’s misfortunes.

They further noted, “During last year’s Kogi State gubernatorial elections, Melaye received significant contributions, including vehicles from PDP stakeholders, yet failed to allocate campaign funds to party structures or polling agents. This resulted in a disappointing 46,000 votes for the party, and Melaye himself did not even vote.

“Melaye took to X (formerly Twitter) to declare the end of the PDP, accusing Damagum, Bature, and Anyanwu of irredeemably destroying the party. Ironically, Melaye was involved in efforts to disrupt the PDP ward congress in Kogi State, attempting to commercialize and deliver outcomes to a paymaster for the 2027 elections.”

The statement also addressed Melaye’s criticisms related to the August 9 call by the group and eighteen of the twenty-one PDP chairmen in Kogi State to prevent the Caretaker Committee from replacing the results of a legitimate delegates’ conference with a manipulated process.

The stakeholders expressed hope that with the right measures, the PDP will overcome its current crisis and regain its position as the preferred party in Kogi State and across Nigeria.