Umar Damagum, the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has raised serious allegations, claiming that a cabal within the presidency is orchestrating plans to undermine the democratic rights of Nigerians. These accusations were made during a press briefing at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja on Thursday.
Damagum asserted that this alleged cabal aims to infringe upon the will of the people and show favoritism towards the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). According to the PDP chieftain, there is an ongoing strategy by the APC to “cripple democracy, overthrow the democratic rights of Nigerians, suppress the rule of law, and downgrade our nation to a fiefdom run by the whims of a cabal.”
During the briefing, Damagum emphasized the urgency of alerting Nigerians to the perceived threat, stating that the country is “fast sliding into totalitarianism” due to the activities of this alleged cabal in the Presidency. He expressed concern over their intentions to weaken democratic institutions, particularly the judiciary, in their apparent desperation to subvert and overturn the expressed will of Nigerians in various election matters across the country.
These allegations echo recent claims by the PDP spokesman, Debo Ologunagba, who also accused the presidency’s cabal of attempting to push Nigeria into anarchy and totalitarianism. Ologunagba specifically pointed to their alleged attempts to manipulate the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the judiciary for this purpose.
As these claims unfold, they add fuel to the ongoing political discourse and raise questions about the state of democracy and governance in Nigeria. The PDP’s leadership remains vigilant, calling on Nigerians to be aware of these alleged threats to the democratic process.