War Without End: PDP crisis takes dangerous twist
•Leaders locked in suspension and counter-suspension
•Acting chairman suspends publicity scribe, legal adviser
•NWC suspends Damagum, Anyanwu over role in Rivers, anti-party activities
•Court restrains party from axing national chairman, secretary
•Factions return to trenches, restrategise ahead Oct 24 meeting
THE crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has taken a turn for the worse with leaders locked in suspension and counter-suspension.
Early yesterday, members of the National Working Committee, NWC, suspended the party’s Acting National Chairman, Amb. Umar Damagum and Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, over alleged anti-party activities and their role in Rivers State political logjam.
Saturday Vanguard gathered that the decision to suspend the two national officers was taken at an emergency meeting held by a majority of members of the NWC which ended in the early hours of yesterday.
The crisis escalated following Damagum’s suspension of the National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba and National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade, who had been vocal in urging the acting chairman to ensure the party adhered to its constitution in day-to-day operations.
However, Damagum and Anyanwu, who are aligned to immediate past Rivers State Governor, and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, Mr Nyesom Wike, yesterday, got a court judgment restraining the party from axing them.
A ruling of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, presided by Justice Peter Lifu, restrained the PDP from suspending Damagum and Anyanwu. It also restrained the National Executive Committee, NEC, and the Board of Trustees, BoT, from interfering with the offices of the duo until the end of the life of the present exco in December 2025.
Meanwhile, a House of Representatives member, Ugo Chinyere, has hailed the suspension of the acting national chairman and secretary, describing the move as apt.
This was as former Ekiti State Governor and a stalwart of the PDP viewed flaming crisis as an “exciting drama” to watch.
Reacting to the unfolding events, Fayose took to his X (formerly Twitter) account to share his thoughts. He likened the situation to an unfolding drama, urging Nigerians to sit back and watch how the crisis plays out.
“PDP: It is becoming such an exciting drama,” Fayose wrote. “Let’s siddon dey look and see how it ends.”
Why Ologunagba, Ajibade were suspended
The dangerous twist in the crisis came to light when the National Director of Publicity, Chinwe Nnorom, announced on Friday that Ologunagba and Ajibade were suspended following the 593rd NWC meeting on Thursday. According to the statement, the suspension is pending an investigation into serious allegations leveled against them. A committee chaired by Deputy National Chairman (South), Taofeek Arapaja, has been set up to probe the allegations.
Ologunagba counters
In a counter move, Ologunagba issued a statement at 3.18 am, yesterday, announcing the suspension of both Damagum and Anyanwu.
His statement read in part: “The National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP has thoroughly reviewed a series of complaints against the Acting National Chairman, Amb. Illiya Damagum, and National Secretary, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu.
“The complaints pertain to their letter to the Court of Appeal in case No: CA/PH/307/2024, which contradicted the party’s stance regarding the 27 former members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, who vacated their seats after defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC).”
According to Ologunagba, the NWC considers this move a grave anti-party activity, in violation of the PDP Constitution (as amended in 2017) and the officials’ Oath of Office.
“As a result, the NWC, acting in accordance with Sections 57, 58, and 59 of the PDP Constitution, has decided to suspend Amb. Illiya Damagum and Sen. Samuel Anyanwu as Acting National Chairman and National Secretary, respectively. They have been referred to the National Disciplinary Committee for further investigation.”
Pending the outcome of the investigation, both Damagum and Anyanwu have been suspended from participating in all NWC meetings, activities, and programmes, the statement added.
Court halts plan to sack Damagum
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, barred the PDP NEC, and BoT from sacking Damagum from office, and ruled that Damagum could only be removed from office at the national convention of the party billed for December next year.
According to the court, pending the convention, no other person can be selected to take over the national leadership of the PDP.
The judgement followed a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/ CS/579/2024, which was brought before the court by a chieftain of the party,Senator Umar El-Gash Maina.
Specifically, Justice Lifu held that in line with Articles 42, 47 and 67 of PDP’s Constitution, national officers of the party could only be elected at the National Convention.
He held that the party and its members are bound by provisions of the Constitution.
Senator Maina, who told the court that he is the Chairman of PDP in Yobe State, had in his suit, alleged a subterraneans plot by some members of the party to illegally remove Damagum from office as the Acting National Chairman of the party.
He told the court that a former Deputy Governor of Kogi State, Dr Phillip Omeiza Salawu, was being pushed forward as Damagum’s replacement.
The plaintiff averred that upon becoming aware of the plan, two separate protest letters were delivered to the National Secretary of the party, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, whom he said failed to take any action to halt the plot.
Consequently, he prayed the court to among other things, declare that the national chairmanship seat of the PDP must be rotated between the north and south only through the procedure enshrined in the Constitution of the party.
While delivering his judgement on Friday, Justice Lifu held that having perused the party’s Constitution as well as exhibits adduced before the court, he was satisfied that there was merit in the case of the plaintiff.
He held that any attempt to truncate the unexhausted four-year tenure of the northern region without the national convention of the party would amount to an affront on the Constitution of the PDP.
The court dismissed preliminary objections that defendants in the matter filed to challenge the locus standi (legal right) of the plaintiff to institute the action as well as the jurisdiction of the court to entertain it.
The defendants had contended that the issue was a domestic affair of a political party no court could meddle in.
However, Justice Lifu dismissed their contention, stressing that the suit was predicated on the protection of PDP’s Constitution from been violated and also to ensure that the right of the northern region to complete its four-year tenure, was protected.
He held that the plaintiff, having displayed his PDP membership card before the court and having raised the fundamental issue of protection of PDP’s Constitution, had sufficient interest and justiciable cause to institute the case.
Therefore, he declared that the PDP NEC and BoT were bound by the party’s Constitution and that Damagum, as the Acting National Chairman, could only be replaced through the national convention of the party.
He also held that Damagum, having been appointed from the northern region of the country where the former National Chairman, Senator Iyorcha Ayu, hailed from, is entitled to serve out the remaining tenure of the national chairman.
Implication of crisis for opposition in 2027
With the feuding stakeholders returning to the trenches ahead of the October 24 enlarged meeting of PDP leaders, the deepening power struggle has thrown the PDP into a state of uncertainty, which may harm its quest to oust the APC in 2027, if not resolved on time.