The leadership crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has taken a new turn as the acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, denied claims that the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) had endorsed a recent court ruling on the Rivers State Executives.
Naijaonpoint understands that this clarification counters a statement issued by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, who announced the NWC’s acceptance of the judgment.
On Thursday, Ologunagba claimed that the NWC had recognised Nname Robinson Ewor’s faction, loyal to Rivers State Governor Sim Fubara, as the legitimate PDP leadership in the state following a January 13, 2025, Rivers State High Court ruling.
The court had restrained Aaron Chukwuemeka’s Wike-aligned faction from functioning as the state’s PDP executives.
Ologunagba further announced that the NWC had accepted the court ruling and upheld Ewor’s group as the valid Rivers State Executive.
However, during a press briefing in Abuja on Friday, PDP Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Ibrahim Abdullahi, refuted Ologunagba’s statement, describing it as unsubstantiated and motivated by personal interests.
Abdullahi stated, “In the manner that my colleague, Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba, has been acting lately, it is becoming glaring that the party is uncomfortable with some of his recent dispositions.
“He appears to have been speaking from both sides of his mouth. Just yesterday, under the directive of the National Chairman, I issued a disclaimer regarding his statement that the NWC had met and accepted the judgment on Rivers State Congresses.
“The NWC did not accept the judgment recognising the Ewor-led executive. That is false. The NWC has not convened since September last year. This is verifiable. So, I wonder how he can claim the NWC met and adopted the verdict.”
Abdullahi further criticised Ologunagba for similar unauthorised statements regarding judgments in Imo and Ebonyi States, emphasising that the Publicity Secretary does not have the authority to speak for the NWC without prior approval.
He added, “A National Publicity Secretary does not possess the authority to act independently. He cannot speak on behalf of the NWC without clearance. His recent actions have demonstrated a lack of adherence to protocol, which is not expected of him as a lawyer.
“We are witnessing a situation where personal sentiment has clouded his reasoning and is taking a toll on his job. The NWC must deliberate and the Chairman must give directives before any statements are made.”