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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
A Federal High Court in Abuja has restrained the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from replacing Amb Umar Damagum as the acting national chairman.
The court gave the order while ruling on a suit filed by PDP members, Umar El-Gash Maina and Zanna Mustapha Gaddama, on May 2.
The respondents in the suit are the PDP, National Working Committee (NWC), National Executive Committee (NEC), PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Ruling on an ex parte motion on May 3, Justice Peter Lifu, gave an interim order restraining the respondents from nominating anybody to replace Damagum as PDP acting national chairman, pending the determination of the motion on notice.
“The defendants/respondents are hereby restrained in the interim from appointing, selecting, or nominating any person to replace Amb. Umar Illiya Damagum as national chairman or acting national chairman of the 1st defendant/respondent pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice already filed, which is herein fixed against the 14th of May, 2024.
“The defendants/respondents, by themselves, agents, privies, or by any proxy, are hereby in the interim restrained from, according to recognition, any person other than Amb. Umar Illiya Damagum as acting national chairman of the 1st defendants/respondents or giving effect to or acting upon any document purporting to be signed by the national chairman or acting national chairman of the 1st defendant without the name and signature of Amb. Umar Illiya Damagum pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice already filed in court in the instant suit.
“The applicants are herein ordered to enter into a fresh undertaking to pay damages to the respondents (to be assessed by the court) if, at the end of the day, it is discovered that this order ought not to have been granted or that the honourable court was misled into granting the same,” the judge held.
The judge adjourned the case to May 14 for hearing of the motion on notice.
Damagum became acting chairman of the PDP following the suspension of Iyorchia Ayu in March 2023.
Before the NEC meeting held in April, PDP members loyal to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar had moved against Damagum over allegations that he was working for Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike,
Those demanding Damagum’s resignation also argued that there was a need for someone from the North Central zone to take over and complete Ayu’s tenure.
However, Wike, who holds a significant influence in the party, had been pushing for Damagum to continue in his position.
On April 18, the NWC of the PDP passed a vote of confidence on Damagum.
The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, said the issue of whether Damagum should remain or be removed from office has been deferred.
He said Damagum would continue as acting national chairman of the party until the next NEC meeting.
The party’s constitution mandates that the NEC meeting be convened once every three months.