PDP won’t be silenced, Turaki declares as Damagum hands over

*We remain the party to beat – Damagum

*As new NWC pledges fairness, reform

By Luminous Jannamike, ABUJA

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday projected a renewed sense of direction as its new National Chairman, Kabiru Turaki, SAN, declared that the opposition won’t be silenced.

He spoke in Abuja after receiving handover documents from the former chairman, Umar Iliya Damagum, in a ceremony that marked a fresh chapter for the party.

The event, held at the Bauchi Governor’s Lodge on Tuesday, brought together top members of the National Working Committee (NWC) and other senior figures.

Damagum formally handed over a two-volume record of his stewardship, a gesture aimed at smoothing the transition and giving the new leadership a clear picture of where the party stands.

“This handover for us is part of our responsibility… There is no better time than now; it is better late than never,” Damagum said, noting that the delay was due to the extensive process of compiling the documents.

He said the materials would help the new NWC navigate the many political and internal challenges the PDP is currently facing.

“I know it comes at a time when we are bedevilled by many challenges. The beauty of the PDP is its ability to surmount obstacles and continue doing what is right,” he said.

Reinforcing his confidence in the party’s standing, Damagum argued that the PDP remains the strongest alternative platform in the country despite attempts to undermine it.

“Every day, we cross one hurdle; they place another before us, we cross it and continue. All this happens by God’s blessing,” he stated.

He added that the PDP’s resilience has always rested on faith and fairness.

“You may have temporary respite through your injustices, but when God’s justice descends, then you realise that He alone is absolute,” he said.

In his response, Turaki commended Damagum and his team for presenting a thorough handover report and for maintaining continuity in party administration.

“Immediately after our election in Bauchi, you promised to prepare a comprehensive handover note… Today, that pledge has been fulfilled,” he said.

Turaki also raised concerns about what he described as deliberate efforts by certain interests to weaken the PDP because of the threat it poses in national politics.

“We are at a crossroads, because some believe the PDP must be killed, must be destroyed, must be isolated simply because of the threat we pose today. But in a democracy, you should live and let others live,” he said.

He reaffirmed the new NWC’s commitment to internal reforms, transparency and fairness, saying the party must return to its grassroots base.

“We promised there would be no impunity, no injustice, a level playing field, transparency and fairness. We still stand by that pledge we made in Bauchi,” he declared.

Turaki said the leadership would carefully study the two-volume handover report and use it to guide their decisions in the months ahead.

“Once again, I want to assure Nigerians that the PDP is on the rise again, and there is no stopping us,” he said.

The handover ceremony added momentum to the PDP’s broader push to rebuild unity, tighten its structures and strengthen its role as the country’s leading opposition platform.

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