A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) National Working Committee (NWC) has suspended the party’s National Chairman, Umar Damagum, and National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu.
The development followed the earlier suspension of National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba and National Legal Adviser Kamaldeen Ajibade, who had called on Damagum to follow the party’s constitution strictly.
PDP national director of publicity, Chinwe Nnorom, announced the suspensions of Ologunagba and Ajibade after a meeting of the NWC on Thursday, citing pending investigations into allegations against them. A committee, led by Deputy National Chairman (South) Taofeek Arapaja, was set up to probe the accusations.
In a surprising turn of events, Ologunagba responded by announcing the suspension of Damagum and Anyanwu on Friday. He cited violations of the PDP constitution, particularly their handling of an appeal involving 27 former Rivers State House of Assembly members who defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC). The NWC condemned their actions as anti-party activities and suspended them from all party functions, pending an investigation by the National Disciplinary Committee.
The statement read in part: “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 concerning 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, under 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 an investigation by the National Disciplinary Committee.”
