Breaking: Crisis Hits PDP, Faction Suspends Damagum, Anyanwu, Embattled Chair Suspends Nat. Legal Adviser,Publicity Secretary

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

The crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has deepened as two factions have emerged.

This has led to the factions suspending each other.

The Damagum led faction first suspended the National Legal Adviser, Adeyemi Ajibade, and the National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, and set up a committee to probe their disloyalty to the party.

Similarly, the Ajibade faction countered by suspending the acting national chairman Damagum and the national secretary, Samuel Anyanwu.

In a statement this morning, Ibrahim Abdullahi Manga , Ag. National Publicity Secretary, said. “Arising from its 593rd meeting,10th October, 2024, the National Working Committee has suspended the National Publicity Secretary and the National Legal Adviser of the Party, pending the determination of allegations of disloyalty and Insubordination levelled against the duo.

“In the meantime, the Deputies in the respective Directorates, Ibrahim Abdullahi and Barr Okechukwu Osuoha, have stepped-in in acting capacity.”

In reaction by the suspended National Publicity Secretary, Ologunagba, titled, “Press Release on the Decision of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP on the Reported Anti-Party Activity by the Acting National Chairman, Amb. Illiya Damagum and National Secretary, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu.

“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 programs of the NWC pending the conclusion of investigation by the National Disciplinary Committee”.

The emergency National Working Committee (NWC) meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) summoned to suspend alleged erring members of the leadership ended in fracas.

The NWC members had retired to their emergency meeting after the Board of Trustees meeting to suspended suspend the National Legal Adviser Adeyemi Ajibade, . National Financial Secretary, Daniel Woyegikuro and National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba . Ologunagba was not in the country

At the meeting that took place at the NWC hall, when the matter came up for discussion, the national legal adviser walked out when the situation was getting rowdy and was seen making calls.

Ajibade later walked into the meeting and carried his files and left.

The national financial secretary was also seen shouting at the top of his voice, saying, “it cannot happen. It will not happen.”

But the deputy national chairman for South , Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja, countered the National Financial Secretary, saying, “let’s see how three members can be more than seventeen members . We have the numbers.”

Some members of the NWC were seen banging their table, shouting, “who the hell are you. You have no right to dictate to us, we have the majority”.

At this stage when tempers were high, Damagum called off the meeting and all of them were guided into their various vehicles by their security aides and the meeting ended without achieving the desired objective of suspending any one.

Yesterday’s meeting was seen as battle for the control of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party as the contest for control took a new dimension as the Damagum-led NWC was said to be under pressure to sanction some of its members perceived to be opposed to former Rivers state Governor and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike.

This is coming as the PDP NWC is said to have split sharply along the line of those loyal to the FCT Minister and those believed to be rooting for the supremacy of the party’s Constitution.

THISDAY gathered that the Damagum-led NWC summoned an emergency meeting yesterday to suspend the said anti-Wike members for allegedly insisting on the adherence to Party rules particularly on the issue of Rivers state PDP Congresses.

A source hinted that members of the NWC are being offered huge sums of money in foreign currency by a powerful politician from the South to ensure the suspension of the said members so as to ensure a complete take-over of the affairs of the party.

Stating that no particular offence has been identified against the said members aside from perceived opposition to the Wike Camp, the source expressed concerns that such move by the NWC can trigger a serious crisis in the party.

It was gathered that the activities of the members listed for suspension had frustrated several moves by a particular camp to weaken the party and secure total control of its structure ahead of the 2027 general election.

The battle for the soul of the PDP shifted to the control of Rivers State structure with the Acting National Chairman Amb. Damagum and the National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, in August writing the Appeal Court insisting that the PDP would remain on an appeal over the embattled 27 members of the Rivers state House of Assembly contrary to the legal position of the party.

The tussle for control of Rivers state PDP took a national dimension after Wike stood his ground on the party’s structure in Rivers state and threatened to “put fire” in the state of any PDP governor that intervenes in the affairs of the party in Rivers state.

The offence of the National Legal Adviser was that he swore an affidavit at a Rivers State High Court that the party was a party to the on going suit against members of the 27 House of Assembly. He quoted the PDP constitution to back up his affidavit.

But the acting national chairman and national secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu countered him that he had no power to do so.

On the National Publicity Secretary, his offence was the letter of October 4 that the party supported the controversial local government election in the state.

The Damagum led NWC insisted that his actions were unilateral as the leadership of the party did not authorise such press conference.