PDP Crisis: Court stops PDP NEC, BoT from sacking Damagum as factional group appoints Mohammed acting nat’l Chairman; BoT ask contending parties to maintain status quo

The Federal High Court in Abuja, has restrained the National Executive Committee (NEC) and Board of Trustees (BoT) of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) from removing Umar Ilya Damagum as the Acting National Chairman of the party.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has grappled with internal strife since after the 2023 elections struggling to resolve its leadership crisis heightened by criticisms of Damagum.

The court ordered that no other person must be recognised as PDP national chairman other than Mr Damagum until the national convention of the party scheduled for December 2025

Justice Peter Lifu while delivering judgment virtually issued the restraining order against PDP NEC, BoT and others in a suit instituted against them by Senator Umar El-Gash Maina.

The judge held that in line with Articles 42, 47 and 67 of PDP, it is only at the National Convention of the party that national officers can be elected .

PDP members are bound by the Constitution of the party and as such must always act in line with the provisions and obedience to the party’s law

The plaintiff, who claimed to be chairman of PDP in Yobe state had instituted the suit against PDP at it’s National level and eight others alleging that some stakeholders of the party have been holding clandestine meetings to forcefully remove Mr Damagum from office in gross violation of the party’s Constitution.

He said that a former Deputy Governor of Kogi State, Phillip Salawu was being pushed forward as replacement for Mr Damagun by the stakeholders.

Maina claimed that upon becoming aware of the plan, two separate letters complaining against the clandestine meetings were delivered to the national secretary of the party, Senator Samuel Anyanwu and that despite the acknowledgment of the two letters, the National Secretary and BoT members have never deemed it fit to act on the letters and their claims.

Justice Lifu also held that any attempt to truncate un-exhausted four years tenure of the northern region without the national convention of the party will amount to an affront to the Constitution of the PDP.

Meanwhile a faction of the party called Integrity Group has appointed Yayari Ahmed Mohammed as the new acting national chairman.

The group announced this on Friday, October 11, 2024, after the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) led by acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, suspended National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade SAN and National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba for alleged anti-party-activities.

Ibrahim Abdullahi, acting national publicity secretary and Okechukwu Osuoha, acting national legal adviser said on Friday that it suspended Debo Ologunagba as its national publicity secretary and Kamaldeen Ajibade, as its national legal adviser for disobeying the party’s position not to participate in the Rivers local government election.

The Rivers state PDP had on the eve of the recent local government election, issued an instruction to its members not to participate in the election, but the party said the suspended officers issued a statement to counter that instruction, asking the party members to participate in the election.

The NWC has constituted a committee to be chaired by Taofeek Arapaja, the deputy national chairman (South), to investigate the issues raised against the officers in compliance with the provisions of the constitution of the party.

And following the NWC’s decision, the party directed their respective deputies (DNPS and DNLA) to assume office in an acting capacity with effect from Friday, October 11, 2014, pending the conclusion of the investigation by the Committee.

But in what appeared like a tit for tat move, the group’s NWC to which Ologunagba belongs suspended Damagum and National Secretary Sam Anyanwu for similar reasons.

In a statement announcing the development, Ologunagba said Mohammed’s appointment is in line with the PDP’s amended constitution from 2017.

The statement reads in part, “Following the suspension of His Excellency, Ambassador Illiya Damagum as the Acting National Chairman of our great Party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the National Working Committee (NWC) has approved the appointment of Alhaji Yayari Ahmed Mohammed as the Acting National Chairman.

“The appointment which takes immediate effect is pursuant to the provisions of the Constitution of the PDP (as amended in 2017)

“The NWC calls on all Organs, leaders, critical stakeholders and members of our great Party to remain focused at this critical time especially as the NWC commences arrangements towards the holding of the Party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting already scheduled for Thursday, 24th October, 2024.”

In a swift reaction, the party’s Board of Trustees, BoT, has called on the party, especially the NWC to sheath their swords and de-escalate the tension.

Adolphus Wabara, Chairman of the BoT, appealed that the “warring persons must, in the overall interest of the party, revert to the status quo to preserve the unity and stability of our great party.

“We understand that disagreements may arise, but as a party with a long-standing tradition of internal democracy, we must not let these challenges derail our collective vision. The Board of Trustees will meet with the members of the NWC to intervene, foster reconciliation, and ensure that normalcy is restored in the NWC of our Great Party.

“We call on all party faithful and supporters to remain calm during this period. The PDP has an effective conflict resolution mechanism, and we are confident that the current issues will be addressed and resolved in a manner that strengthens the party.

The BoT said it “remains fully committed to its role of promoting peace, unity, and progress within the PDP”