The crisis rocking the main opposition People’s Democratic Party has taken a new twist as the camp of the acting National Chairman of the party, Illiya Damagum, and that of another faction within the National Working Committee have embarked on a test of might through suspension.
The Damagum faction had suspended the National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba and National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Adeyemi Ajibade.
A committee was also constituted under the leadership of 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.”
A National Director of Publicity at the party headquarters, Chinwe Nnorom, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday night.
She said, “The National Working Committee (NWC) of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) arising from its 593rd Meeting has directed the National Publicity Secretary (NPS), Hon Debo Ologunagba and National Legal Adviser (NLA), Kamaldeen Adeyemi Ajibade, SAN, to step aside, respectively.
“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 new officers are Ibrahim Abdullahi Manga, Esq, Acting National Publicity Secretary and Barr. Okechukwu Osuoha, Acting National Legal Adviser.
In their swift reaction, the other camp also suspended Damagum and the National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu.
In a statement issued by Ologunagba, the faction said, “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 programmes of the NWC pending the conclusion of investigation by the National Disciplinary Committee.”
The development comes after Senator Adolphus Wabara, Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees, harped on the need to close ranks and forge a common front.
