‘PDP Governors Consider Two Options Following Damagum’s Suspension As Acting Chairman’

Governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are taking decisive steps to address the ongoing crisis within the party’s leadership.

This initiative comes in response to a recent suspension of the acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, and National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, by a faction of the National Working Committee (NWC) over allegations of disloyalty.

The turmoil escalated when Damagum’s supporters announced the suspension of National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade and National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, citing similar allegations.

The reciprocal suspensions have heightened tensions within the party, prompting urgent calls for resolution from the governors.

According to a source close to the governors, who spoke with ThisDay, several options are under consideration to restore order and unity within the PDP.

One proposal includes sacking all members of the NWC through the National Executive Committee (NEC) and appointing a caretaker committee to steer the party until 2025.

Another potential solution being discussed is to revert both factions to the status quo, allowing for the selection of Damagum’s successor at the upcoming NEC meeting scheduled for October 24, 2024.

The source revealed, “Ayu’s replacement was supposed to have emerged on the April 18, 2024 NEC meeting but the decision was suspended because many states had not concluded their congresses. When the NEC meeting was rescheduled, it coincided with the period of lesser Hajj and was postponed. Now that all the states have concluded their congresses, a new NEC meeting was scheduled for October 24 to choose Ayu’s successor, whose tenure will expire in December 2025, along with other members of the NWC.”

Reacting to the court order restraining the PDP from removing Damagum until December 2025, the source said he was not sure Damagum would use the court case to scuttle the peace efforts.

“Damagum was in Bauchi State to brief the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Bala Mohammed on the outcome of the NWC meeting when his suspension was announced and when the court order barring the PDP from removing him was issued. I am not sure he initiated it. It is expected that he won’t use the court order to scuttle the peace efforts,” the source added.

The source further disclosed that one of the outcomes of Damagum’s visit to Bauchi was that the warring parties should maintain the status quo pending the meeting of the PDP governors tomorrow.

According to him, Damagum and his NWC were also told that such a crisis was not needed as the party was preparing for the NEC meeting.

However, the crisis deepened yesterday as a top national officer of the party was said to have ordered that the offices of the National Legal Adviser, Ajibade, and the National Publicity Secretary, Ologunagba, be broken into and the keys changed.

But the order was yet to be carried out as other top officers were uncomfortable with it.

One of the national officers queried why the keys to the offices of the affected officers should be changed when “till this moment, the keys to the offices of the former national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu are still intact.”

The party officer said, “The two were suspended under questionable circumstances. Why the rush to break into their offices, as if they were expelled from the party?”