*Melaye To Damagum: Go, join APC
THE lingering political crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as a result of the outcome of its presidential primary election, which was aggravated by the rift between former Rivers State governor and now Minister of the Federal Capital territory (FCT), Mr. Nyesom Wike, and his now estranged godson and successor, Governor Siminilayi Fubara, has snowballed into blown factionalisation of the party.
In the latest development, the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), led by acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, a loyalist of Wike, who took over following Senator Iyorchia Ayu’s removal by a court, announced the suspension of some key officers of the party perceived to be loyal to its presidential candidate in last year’s general elections, Atiku Abubakar.
In a statement on Thursday night, October 10, and signed by its National Director of Publicity, Chinwe Nnorom, the party, in a statement, 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), 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, acting National Publicity Secretary, and Okechukwu Osuoha, acting National Legal Adviser.”
Shortly afterward, Ologunagba, in a statement, said the NWC had suspended Damagum and National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, for alleged disloyalty to the PDP.
Ologunagba announced the appointment of National Treasurer, Yayari Ahmed Mohammed, as acting National Chairman, adding: “The National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP has extensively considered the series of complaints raised against the acting National Chairman, Illiya Damagum, and National Secretary, 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 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.
“Following the suspension of Damagum as the acting national chairman of our great party, the National Working Committee has approved the appointment of Yayari Ahmed Mohammed as the acting National Chairman.”
In reaction to the spate of suspensions, the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) charged the factional members of the NWC to restore the previous state of affairs.
The BoT Chairman, Senator Adolphus Wabara, in a statement on Friday, October 11, urged them to pull back and de-escalate the tension, assuring that the Board was fully dedicated to fostering peace, unity and progress within the party.
The latest crisis comes ahead of the party’s is preparing for its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting.
Admitting that disagreements may arise in a party with a tradition of internal democracy, the BoT stressed the importance of de-escalating the situation, urging all sides to “revert to the status quo” to maintain unity and prevent further damage to the party’s image.
The Bot pledged to convene meetings with the members of the NWC to mediate the conflict, promising to foster reconciliation and restore order.
It assured supporters and members that conflict resolution mechanisms would effectively address the crisis, charging them to remain calm, as the issues would be resolved in a way that strengthens the party’s internal cohesion ahead of the October 24 NEC meeting.
Meanwhile, former senator representing Kogi West, Dino Melaye, on Friday mocked Damagum to join the APC, describing him as an agent of destruction, saying he has done enough harm to PDP.
Writing on his X handle, Melaye said: “APC agent of destruction, enough is enough. Damagum, go and join APC in peace.
“Bye-bye, Damagum, the harm you’ve done is enough.”
Only recently, a Federal High Court in Abuja restrained the PDP NEC and BoT from removing Damagum as the party’s acting national chairman.
The court also ordered that no other person must be recognised as PDP national chairman other than Damagum until the national convention of the party scheduled for December next year.
