The crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has worsened with the emergence of two factions, each with different alliance, issuing separate statements suspending key officers of the national working committee
The crisis rocking the party relates to the issues in Rivers State in which the minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr Nyesom Wike and the incumbent governor of the state, Mr Siminalayi Fubara are fighting for the control of the party’s structure.
The acting national chairman of the PDP, Mr Illiya Damagum in connivance with some members of the NWC who support Wike, secured an approval for a kangaroo PDP congress in Rivers State which handed over the structure of the party to Wike’s men and equally postponed the national executive committee meeting from September 26 to October 24.
However, the national legal adviser, Mr Adeyemi Ajibade, and the national publicity secretary, Mr Debo Ologunagba head the NWC group that consistently opposes Damagum’s efforts to hand over the control of the PDP to Wike.
Matters came to a head on Friday when the Damagum-led NWC faction announced the suspension Ajibade and Ologunagba.
In a statement announcing Ajibade and Ologunagba’s suspension, the acting national publicity secretary, Mr Abdullahi, Manga, said: “The national working committee of the Peoples’ Democratic Party arising from its 593rd Meeting today, Thursday, October 10, 2024, has directed the national publicity secretary, Debo Ologunagba and national legal adviser, Kamaldeen Adeyemi Ajibade, SAN, to step aside, respectively.
“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, 2014, pending the conclusion of investigation by the Committee. The officers are: “Ibrahim Abdullahi Manga, Esq, acting national publicity secretary and Barr. Okechukwu Osuoha, acting national legal adviser,” the Damagum-led group said in a statement.
In another twist, a faction of the NWC led by Ologunagba, announced the suspension of Damagum and the national secretary, Mr Samuel Anyanwu, for alleged disloyalty to the PDP.
The Ologunagba faction also appointed national treasurer Yayari Ahmed Mohammed as acting national chairman.
“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.
“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.
“Following the suspension of His Excellency, Amb. Illiya Damagum as the acting national chairman of our great party, the Peoples’ Democratic Party, the national working committee has approved the appointment of Alhaji Yayari Ahmed Mohammed as the acting national chairman,” the faction said in a statement at the weekend.
However, the Abuja Federal High Court restrained the party’s NEC and BoT from removing Damagum as the PDP acting national chairman.
The court ordered that no person other than Damagum must be recognised as PDP national chairman until the national convention of the party is scheduled for December of next year.
