LEADERS, governors and founding fathers of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Friday scrambled to save the party from factionalisation as two groups claim its leadership.

Both the party’s Governor’s Forum and its Board of Trustees (BoT) emphasised on Friday that there was no faction within its fold.

The leadership crisis rocking the party worsened with a gale of suspensions announced on Friday by two factions within the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).

A faction had suspended the Acting National Chairman of the party, Umar Damagum, and the party’s National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, from office, for alleged disloyalty to the party and announced Ahmed Yayari from Gombe State as Damagum’s replacement.

Another faction of the NWC, aligned with Damagum, also announced the suspension of the National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade, and the National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, for alleged disloyalty to the party.

Chairman of the party’s Governors’ Forum, who is also the governor of Bauchi State, Senator Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir, while receiving Damagum on Friday at the Government House, Bauchi, declared that there was no faction in the party.

Bala Mohammed is believed to be leading a force within the party determined to oust Damagum while some other governors led by Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State are backing the embattled party chairman.

In a surprise twist, Damagum rushed to meet with his ‘enemy’, the Bauchi State governor, on Friday.

Sources said Damagum’s visit to the governor likely followed interventions from certain founding fathers and leaders of the partly who realised the implications of not nipping the crisis in the bud.

Governor Bala Mohammed emerged from the closed-door meeting with Damagum and maintained that the party remained intact and capable of addressing its internal crises.

“I would say that we have met and discussed these situations extensively with the Acting National Chairman and we have agreed to work together along with other party organs–the BOT, the members of the Governors’ Forum, the Caucus of the Senate and the House of Representatives to resolve all these issues and that is the major takeaway of this visit,” he said.

Bala Mohammed gave the assurance that the parry would deepen stockholdings and collaboration to address every issue in the party.

He described as perceptions, allegations of party disloyalty levelled against Damagum and a reported plan to remove him (Governor Mohammed) as chairman of the party’s Governors’ Forum, saying, “These are just manifestations because of body language.”

Bala Mohammed stressed that: “We have discussed everything on relationships and interrelations and disagreements and we have decided that henceforth, we will not allow gaps.”

He regretted his disagreement with Damagum, saying it had been costly on both sides.

“I took a position that was against him and certainly you are going to have these disparaging manifestations that we have now decided henceforth we will not allow,” he said.

“We are not recognising any faction. We are together as a party and we will definitely resolve all our issues. There is no faction in the PDP. That is the benefit of doubt that Damgum has done to me by coming and agreeing that we should do that.

“The final decision does not rest on the two of us but other members that are stakeholders within the PDP Governors’ Forum, within the BOT and within the caucus and other stakeholders in the party,” he added.

Damagun had led PDP chairmen from six northeastern states on the visit to Governor Bala Mohammed.

The delegation, comprising PDP chairmen from Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Yobe and Borno states, met with Governor Bala Mohammed to discuss the challenges facing the party and explore ways to strengthen its structures in the region and in the country.

During the visit, Ambassador Damagum emphasised the importance of unity within the party, stating that the meeting addressed critical issues and reinforced the PDP’s position in the country.

Governor Mohammed expressed gratitude for the visit, reaffirming his commitment to supporting the PDP and its leadership.

He pledged the Forum’s continuous backing of the party’s NWC and its efforts to move the party forward.

Revert to status quo, PDP BoT urges NWC factions

As tensions escalated within the NWC, the party’s BoT stepped in, calling for a return to the status quo in order to preserve unity.

The party’s BoT led by Senator Adolphus Wabara released a statement urging the warring factions to put aside their differences for the sake of the party’s stability.

In the statement, the BoT expressed concern over the internal conflict within the NWC which had deepened following the suspension of Damagum, Anyanwu, Ologunagba and Ajibade.

The leadership dispute had drawn sharp divisions within the party, leading to rising tensions at a time when the PDP is preparing for its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting.

Acknowledging that disagreements may arise in a party with a tradition of internal democracy, the BoT emphasised the importance of de-escalating the situation.

The trustees urged all sides to “revert to the status quo” in order to maintain unity and prevent further damage to the party’s image.

“The warring persons must, in the overall interest of the party, revert to the status quo to preserve the unity and stability of our great party,” the BoT said in its statement.

The board also pledged to convene meetings with the members of the NWC to mitigate the conflict, promising to foster reconciliation and restore order.

In its appeal, the BoT reassured supporters and members that the party’s conflict resolution mechanisms would effectively address the crisis.

The statement also called on party faithful to remain calm, stressing that the issues at hand would be resolved in a way that strengthens the party’s internal cohesion ahead of the upcoming NEC meeting scheduled for October 24.

“The BoT remains fully committed to its role of promoting peace, unity, and progress within the PDP,” the statement added.

Court stops NEC, BoT from sacking Damagum

Justice Peter Lifu of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja also on Friday restrained the NEC and BoT of the party from sacking Damagum as the acting National Chairman of the party.

The judge, who Issued the restraining order against the PDP NEC, BoT and others, while delivering judgment in a suit filed by Senator Umar El-Gash Maina on Friday, also ordered that no one must be recognised as the PDP national chairman other than Damagum until the national convention of the party scheduled for December next year.

The judge held that In line with Articles 42, 47 and 67 of the PDP, it is only at the national convention of the party that national officers can be elected.

In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/ CS/579/2024, Justice Lifu said PDP members are bound by the constitution of the party and as such, must always act in line with the provisions and obedience to the party’s law.

The plaintiff, who claimed to be chairman of the PDP in Yobe State, had instituted the suit against the party and eight others, wherein he alleged that some stakeholders of the party had been holding clandestine meetings to forcibly remove Damagum from office in gross violation of the party’s constitution.

He told the court that a former deputy governor of Kogi State, Dr Phillip Salawu, was being pushed forward as replacement for Damagun by the stakeholders.

The plaintiff claimed that upon becoming aware of the plan, two separate letters complaining against the clandestine meetings were delivered to the National Secretary of the party, Senator Anyanwu, and that despite the acknowledgment of the letters, the National Secretary and BoT members had never deemed it fit to act on the letters and their claims.

In the suit, filed on his behalf by Joshua Musa, SAN, the plaintiff prayed the court to invoke articles 45, 47 and 67 of PDP constitution to stop the move to replace Damagum as the acting national chairman.

The plaintiff specifically asked the court to declare that the national chairmanship of the PDP is rotated between the North and the South and not through any other procedure not enshrined in the party’s constitution.

In his judgment after a careful reading of the constitution of the PDP and exhibits in the suit, Justice Lifu agreed with the plaintiff that Damagum can only be replaced at the national convention of the party or through an order of a court.

The judge also held that any attempt to truncate the un-exhausted four years tenure of the northern region without the national convention of the party would amount to an affront to the constitution of the PDP.

The judge had earlier dismissed the opposition of the defendants to the suit, that the plaintiff had no locus standi to file the suit and that the court lacked jurisdiction to hear it.

Justice Lifu held that the plaintiff predicated his suit on the protection of the PDP constitution from being violated and the northern region, where he hailed from, from being short-changed on the four-year tenure.

He said the plaintiff, having displayed his PDP membership card before the court and having raised the fundamental issue of protection of the PDP constitution, had sufficient interest and justiceable cause to institute the case.

The judge then declared that the PDP NEC and BoT are bound by the party’s constitution and that Damagum, as national chairman, can only be replaced through the national convention of the party.

He also held that Damagum, having been appointed from the northern region where the former national chairman, Senator Iyorcha Ayu, hailed from, is entitled to serve out the remaining tenure of the national chairman.

NWC faction suspends Damagum over alleged anti-party activities

A major shake-up had earlier Friday rocked the party as a faction of the NWC announced the suspension of Damagum and Anyanwu following allegations of anti-party activities.

The announcement, which was made via a statement by the National Publicity Secretary, Ologunagba, on Friday, sparked widespread reactions within the party.

The factional NWC’s decision to suspend Damagun stemmed from a controversial letter reportedly signed by both Damagum and Anyanwu, addressed to the Court of Appeal in the ongoing legal battle concerning 27 former members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

The legislators, who had defected from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC), are embroiled in a case that challenges the legality of their seats in the assembly after defecting.

In the statement, the factional NWC condemned the actions of Damagum and Anyanwu, labelling their involvement in the case as a “gross violation” of the party’s constitution and their oaths of office.

The NWC noted that their actions were not only unauthorised but directly conflicted with the party’s position, describing them as clear instances of anti-party conduct.

Citing sections 57, 58, and 59 of the PDP Constitution (as amended in 2017), the NWC suspended both officials from their positions and referred them to the National Disciplinary Committee for further action.

During the period of their suspension, they were barred from participating in any party meetings, activities, or programmes until investigations were completed.

The faction moved swiftly to fill the leadership vacuum, announcing the appointment of Alhaji Yayari Ahmed Mohammed as the new acting National Chairman.

His appointment, the committee noted, was in accordance with the PDP constitution and took effect immediately.

According to the statement, Alhaji Yayari, a seasoned party stalwart, was expected to steer the party through this turbulent period as the PDP prepared for its NEC meeting.

Party leaders and stakeholders have been urged to remain focused and united as the NWC begins its preparations for the crucial NEC meeting, a gathering seen as pivotal in the future direction of the party.

This development marks yet another chapter in the internal struggles that have plagued the country’s main opposition party in recent years, raising questions about party discipline and internal governance as it gears up for future elections.

Ologunagba’s statement followed the one earlier issued by the Damagum faction of the NWC announcing the suspension of the National Publicity Secretary and the National Legal Adviser. (Saturday Tribune)