File Photo: Umar Damagun, PDP acting National Chairman
Confusion has hit Nigeria’s main opposition party, the People Democratic Party, PDP, after a Federal High Court, Abuja, restrained the party from removing its acting National Chairman, Umar Damagun, who was at about the same time suspended by the National Working Committee of PDP.
Justice Peter Lifu on Friday also restrained the National Working Committee (NWC), the National Executive Committee (NEC) and Board of Trustees (BoT) of the PDP from removing Damagun.
The order followed an ex parte application by two aggrieved members of the party, Umar Maina and Zanna Gaddama.
The judgment came even as a faction of the PDP suspended Damagum and the acting National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu.
The National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, who the National Working Committee had earlier suspended, announced the duo’s suspension.
Ologunagba and National Legal Adviser Kamaldeen Ajibade, were suspended after they called on Damagum to strictly follow the party’s constitution.
Ologunagba cited violations of the PDP constitution, particularly Damagun’s handling of an appeal by 27 former Rivers State House of Assembly members who allegedly defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the decision to suspend Damagun.
A statement released on Damagun’s suspension read: The National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP has extensively considered the series of complaints raised against the Acting National Chairman, Amb. Illiya Damagum and National Secretary, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu 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 Amb. Illiya Damagum and Sen. Samuel Anyanwu as Acting National Chairman and National Secretary of the Party, respectively, and referred them to the National Disciplinary Committee for further action.
“In the meantime, the two officials are suspended from all meetings, activities and programs of the NWC pending the conclusion of an investigation by the National Disciplinary Committee.”
