FULL DETAILS: BoT reacts as PDP crisis escalates

The Board of Trustees (BoT) of the People’s Democratic Party has called on the two factions within the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) to sheath their swords and revert to status quo.

The PDP BoT made the call in a statement issued by its Chairman, Sen. Adolphus Wabara, on Friday in Abuja, as part of moves to intervene in the ongoing internal crisis rocking the party’s national leadership.

PDP crisis escalates as NWC faction suspends National Chairman, Secretary

Recall that the crisis rocking the PDP worsened with the emergence of two factions of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC). Both factions issued separate statements suspending key officers of the NWC.

A faction of the NWC, had in a statement by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr Debo Ologunagba on Friday, suspended the acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, and National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, for alleged anti-party activities.

However, another faction of the NWC loyal to Damagum, later on Friday, also announced the suspension of the National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade, and Ologunagba for alleged disloyalty to the party.

Ologunagba, in the statement he had earlier issued, announced the suspension of Damagum and Anyanwu, saying that they had been referred to the party’s National Disciplinary Committee.

He said that the decision of the NWC followed the report of anti-party activity by Damagum and Anyanwu.

Ologunagba further stated that the PDP’s NWC extensively considered the series of complaints raised against the two national officers.

“This is particularly with regard to the letter addressed by them to the Court of Appeal in Appeal No: CA/PH/307/2024 against the party’s position in the case involving the 27 former members of the Rivers State House of Assembly who vacated their seats upon decamping from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

“The NWC condemned this anti-party activity of the Acting National Chairman and the National Secretary, which is in gross violation of the provisions of the PDP Constitution (as amended in 2017) and their Oath of Office.

“Consequently, the NWC, pursuant to Sections 57, 58 and 59 of the PDP Constitution, has suspended Damagum and Anyanwu as acting National Chairman and National Secretary of the Party respectively and referred them to the National Disciplinary Committee for further action,” he said.

Ologunagba said that the two officials had been suspended from all meetings, activities and programmes of the NWC, pending the conclusion of investigation by the party’s National Disciplinary Committee.

Meanwhile, another NWC faction, which has been backing Damagum, also announced the suspension of Ologunagba and Ajibade.

The PDP National Director of Publicity, Chinwe Nnorom, who made this known in a statement issued on Friday, said that the party had established a committee to investigate the concerns raised against the officers, in accordance with the party’s constitution.

The committee, according to him, is headed by the Deputy national Chairman (South), Taofeek Arapaja.

“As a result, the NWC constituted a committee to be chaired by the Deputy National Chairman (South), H.E. Amb. Taofeek Arapaja, to investigate the issues raised against the officers in compliance with the provisions of the constitution of the party.

“Following the NWC’s decision, it directed their respective deputies (DNPS) and (DNLA) to assume office in acting capacity with effect from Friday, October 11, 2024, pending the conclusion of investigation by the committee,” he said.

Nnorom named the officers as: Ibrahim Manga, acting National Publicity Secretary and Okechukwu Osuoha, acting National Legal Adviser.

“The NWC enjoins all leaders, critical stakeholders, teeming members and supporters of our great party to remain focused and committed as it pilots the day-to-day affairs of the PDP for its greater good,” he said.

PDP NWC faction appoints Yayari Mohammed as acting National Chairman

As the crisis in the PDP worsens, a faction of the NWC, which suspended Illiya Damagum, appointed Alhaji Yayari Mohammed as the new acting National Chairman. A statement issued by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba in Abuja on Friday, said that the Mohammed’s appointment was approved by the NWC.

According to him, the appointment takes immediate effect, in pursuant to the provisions of the Constitution of the PDP (as amended in 2017). Ologunagba called on all organs, leaders, critical stakeholders and members of the party to remain focused ‘at this critical time’.

He said that the calm was important, especially as the NWC commenced arrangements toward holding the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on Oct. 24.

The worsening crisis within the country’s main party, saw the emergence of two factions, each issuing separate statements suspending key officers of the NWC.

A faction of the NWC had, in a statement by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr Debo Ologunagba on Friday, suspended the acting National Chairman, Damagum, and National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, for alleged anti-party activity.

Another faction of the NWC loyal to Damagum thereafter announced the suspension of the National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade, and Ologunagba for alleged disloyalty to the part.

The NWC faction in a statement by the party National Director of Publicity, Pastor Chinwe Nnorom, directed Ologunagba and Kamaldeen Ajibade to step aside.

The faction also constituted a committee to be chaired by the Deputy National Chairman (South), Taofeek Arapaja, to investigate the issues raised against the officers in compliance with the provisions of the party’s constitution.

“Following the NWC’s decision, it directed their respective deputies to the two suspended national officers to assume office in acting capacity with effect from Friday, pending the conclusion of investigation by the committee.

“The deputies are Ibrahim Manga, acting National Publicity Secretary and Mr Okechukwu Osuoha, acting National Legal Adviser,” Nnorom said.

Court stops PDP national leadership from removing Damagum as Ag National Chairman

Meanwhile, the Federal High Court in Abuja, on Friday, restrained the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s national leadership from removing Mr Umar Damagum as the acting national chairman of the party.

Justice Peter Lifu, in a virtual proceeding and monitored by newsmen in Abuja, delivered the judgment on Friday.

Justice Lifu ordered the PDP National Executive Committee (NEC) and Board of Trustees (BoT) not to recognised any other person as party’s national chairman until the national convention of the party scheduled for December 2025.

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.

He said that 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 suit, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/579/2024, was instituted by Joshua Musa, SAN, on Sen. Umar Maina’s behalf.

The plaintiff, who claimed to be chairman of PDP in Yobe, sued the PDP and eight others. He alleged that some stakeholders of the party had been holding clandestine meetings to forcefully remove Damagum from office in gross violation of the party’s constitution.

He said that a former Deputy Governor of Kogi, Dr Phillip Salawu, was being pushed forward as replacement for 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, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu.

He said despite the acknowledgment of the two letters, the national secretary and BoT members had never deemed it fit to act on the letters and their claims.

He, therefore, prayed the court to invoke Articles 45, 47 and 67 of PDP Constitution to stop the move to replace Damagum as the acting national chairman.

The plaintiff specifically asked the court to declare that the national chairmanship of PDP is rotated between the north and south region and not through any other procedure not enshrined in its constitution.

Delivering the judgment, Justice Lifu agreed with the plaintiff that Damagum can only be replaced at the national convention of PDP or through an order of a court.

He also held that any attempt to truncate un-exhausted four years tenure of the northern region without the national convention of the party would amount to an affront to the constitution of the PDP.

Sheath your swords, revert to status quo – PDP BoT tells NWC factions

Meanwhile, as part of moves to intervene in the ongoing internal crisis rocking the party’s national leadership, the BoT has called on the two factions within the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) to sheath their swords and revert to status quo.

The PDP BoT made the call in a statement issued by its Chairman, Sen. Adolphus Wabara, on Friday in Abuja,  Wabara called on all sides of the NWC to sheath their swords and de-escalate the tension. He also called on the warring persons to revert to the status quo to preserve the unity and stability of the 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 BoT 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. 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,” he said.

According to Wabara, BoT remains fully committed to its role of promoting peace, unity, and progress within the party.

A faction of the NWC had, in a statement by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr Debo Ologunagba on Friday, suspended the acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, and National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, for alleged anti-party activity.

The faction had also announced Alhaji Yayari Mohammed as the new acting National Chairman of the party.

Meanwhile another faction of the NWC loyal to Damagum also announced the suspension of the National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade, and Ologunagba for alleged disloyalty to the part.

The NWC faction, in a statement by the party’s National Director of Publicity, Pastor Chinwe Nnorom, directed Ologunagba and Kamaldeen Ajibade to step aside.

The faction also constituted a committee to be chaired by the Deputy National Chairman (South), Taofeek Arapaja, to investigate the issues raised against the officers in compliance with the provisions of the party’s constitution.

“Following the NWC’s decision, it directed their respective deputies to the two suspended national officers to assume office in acting capacity with effect from Friday, pending the conclusion of investigation by the committee.

“The deputies are Ibrahim Manga, acting National Publicity Secretary and Mr Okechukwu Osuoha, acting National Legal Adviser,” Nnorom said.