The acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ambassador Umar Ilyas Damagum, has expressed deep disappointment over the wave of defections of party and state government officials in Delta State to the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing it as both painful and shocking.

“It’s their decision, but the pain remains with us—not for personal reasons, but because of the immense support we’ve given Delta State. From backing the current governor to supporting his predecessor, who also ran as our Vice Presidential candidate, we least expected this kind of betrayal,” Damagum lamented.

He made the remarks at the PDP national secretariat in Abuja during the presentation of the party’s Certificate of Return to Architect Jude Ezenwafor, the sole aspirant and candidate for the November 8 Anambra State governorship election.

Damagum, joined by the acting National Secretary, Architect Setonji Koshoedo, National Legal Adviser Alhaji Kamaldeen Ajibade, and National Organizing Secretary Captain Bature Umar (rtd), also expressed concern over the ruling APC’s political maneuvers, which he said were destabilizing the opposition and creating a difficult environment for the PDP.

“You may have your own tactics but you cannot outplay God, we leave our faith in the hands of God and we believe He will help us out of this great situation,” he stated.

According to Damagum who assured the PDP governorship candidate of victory, the extremely reduced interest in struggling for the PDP governorship ticket that Ezenwafor won as an unopposed candidate has also manifested such first-time peaceful process that indicate very bright prospects.

“For the first time, a PDP governorship candidate emerged in Anambra in a rancour-free process and this is also the first time that we got a state executive that emerged from the state congress without a single court order; this shows that we are now getting it right in Anambra.

“You see, if God wants to help you, he takes out all the thorns along the way and I know that we now have one united party in Anambra today; your commitment, belief and sincerity would see us through this election, victory would be yours.

“You have started well, from the evolution of the state executive to your emergence as our candidate, I think what you need to do is to go back and consolidate by going to make sure that everyone comes back on board; I assure you of our total support and commitment,” he told Ezenwafor.

Speaking further on the mass media’s interest in hearing PDP’s response to the developments in Delta state, Damagum emphasized that there is need for party members to renew their hope in God towards overcoming the APC threat in 2027 general elections.

“I know that Nigerians are eager to hear from us about what happened to the PDP in Delta state: it is very sad and unfortunate because to me, if there’s any state that should think that way, it should not have been Delta, because the party has been very magnanimous to them but I thank God that they have not said that the party did anything wrong to them other than good.

“All the same, this is a party that has seen more than that, but ii’s still standing and I want to use this opportunity to say, we’ll take over our structures immediately by setting up a caretaker team; we are still taking stocks and we will do that immediately.

“I also want to enjoin our members, both in Delta and other parts of the country, I want to remind us about what happened in 2023: the PDP can still make it!.

“Peter Obi had no governor but he muscled those votes that he muscled so, this election in 2027 will not be about how many governors you have or how many (party) leaders; it’s about Tinubu versus Nigerians and they will give him the result before 12 noon on voting day because you can coerce, persuade, and intimidate our members to support you but the ordinary man is feeling the pinch and the decision is his.

“So I want to use this opportunity to tell Nigerians that it is their election, it is APC versus Nigerians; it is not APC versus any governor or Senator but APC versus Nigerians.

“I want to urge all of us to close ranks and rescue ourselves from this hardship that is inflicted on us by design, not any coincidence; policies are meant for people, not animals but they made policies that are not yielding good results for the ordinary people.

“People should not be deterred, we will experience a lot of challenges but there is no challenge that is insurmountable; I thank God that we are all people of faith, we know that there is a limit to whatever one can do other than what God has designed,” Damagum stated.

In his speech, Ezenwafor who was accompanied by his wife, members of in PDP State Working Committee Anambra state and campaign officials assured Damagum that he was going home to consolidate and win the November 8 governorship election, adding that governors from other states across Nigeria will soon be coming to learn governance strategies from his exemplary leadership in Anambra State.

“After my elections, all other governors will come and take lessons, especially on the way to do their own security; as a former Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on security, I will not take things for granted.

“I appreciate your fatherly support, but I want to tell all of us here that PDP Anambra State is a PDP state; all of us contesting the governorship election in Anambra State today, including the serving governor were once governorship aspirants within the PDP but as a bridge-builder, I will consolidate and move forward,” Ezenwafor stated. (The Nation)