Akinwande Soji-Ojo
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has restrained the National Executive Committee (NEC) and Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from removing Umar Damagum as the party’s acting national chairman.
In a judgement delivered via Zoom on Friday, Justice Peter Lifu said that aside Damagum, no other person must be recognised as the PDP acting national chairman until the party’s convention scheduled for December 2025.
Lifu held that party members are bound by Articles 42, 47 and 67 of the PDP constitution, which stipulates that national officers of the party can only be elected during the party’s national convention.
The suit was filed by Umar Maina, PDP chairman in Yobe State.
Maina had instituted the suit against PDP and eight others, alleging that some stakeholders of the party have been holding meetings to forcefully remove Damagum from office.
He said Phillip Salawu, a former deputy governor of Kogi State was being pushed forward as a replacement for Damagum by the stakeholders.
Maina said despite sending two separate petitions to Samuel Anyanwu, the party’s national secretary, no action was taken regarding the issue.
The plaintiff, through his counsel, Joshua Musa, prayed the court to invoke article 45, 47 and 67 of PDP constitution to stop the move to replace Damagum.
The plaintiff specifically asked the court to declare that the national chairmanship of PDP is rotated between the northern and southern regions and not through any other procedure alien to the party’s constitution.
In his judgement, Lifu agreed with the plaintiff that Damagum can only be replaced at the national convention of PDP or through an order of a court.
The judge also held that any attempt to truncate the four-year tenure of the northern region without the national convention of the party would amount to an affront to the party’s constitution.
PDP faction appoints acting natianoal chairman
Meanwhile,a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national working committee (NWC) has appointed Yayari Mohammed as the party’s acting national chairman
The development follows the suspension of Kamaldeen Ajibade, national legal adviser, and Debo Ologunagba, national publicity secretary of the party, on Friday.
The duo were suspended by the NWC led by Damagum, for alleged anti-party activities.
However, a statement signed by Ologunagba, later on Friday announced the suspension of Damagum and Samuel Anyanwu, national secretary of the PDP, citing anti-party activities.
Ologunagba said Mohammed’s appointment is in line with the PDP’s amended constitution of 2017 and takes immediate effect.
“Following the suspension of His Excellency, Ambassador Illiya Damagum as the Acting National Chairman of our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the National Working Committee (NWC) has approved the appointment of Alhaji Yayari Ahmed Mohammed as the Acting National Chairman.
“The appointment which takes immediate effect is pursuant to the provisions of the Constitution of the PDP (as amended in 2017)
“The NWC calls on all organs, leaders, critical stakeholder and members of our great party to remain focused at this critical time especially as the NWC commences arrangements towards the holding of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting already scheduled for Thursday, 24th October, 2024,” he said.