A former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, has condemned the party’s National Chairman, Umar Damagum over a report of meeting President Bola Tinubu.

Ologbondiyan challenged Damagum to issue a clarification regarding the alleged secret meeting with Tinubu.

In a statement he signed, the PDP chieftain urged the party leaders to rescue the party from the “stranglehold of Damagum and his backers if the party must be revitalised to perform optimally as an opposition political party.”

He said: “How can the head of the leading opposition party be accused of ‘nicodemusly’ meeting with the President of the ruling government, and he would have no response to provide?”

Expressing concern over PDP’s loss in Saturday’s Ondo State governorship election, Ologbondiyan stressed that successive off-season elections in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun may suffer the fate of Kogi, Imo and Ondo States if the substantive National Chairman is not restored.

“It is reprehensible that the Acting National Chairman is supervising the dishevelling of the party.

“Amb. Damagun has the least of interest in working for the success of the party in any election,” he added.