By Our Correspondent
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has plunged further into internal strife as a faction of its National Working Committee (NWC) announced the suspension of the party’s Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, and National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu.
This development comes after the earlier suspension of National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, and National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade. Both officials had been pressing Damagum to strictly adhere to the party’s constitution in managing party affairs.
In a statement released on Friday by PDP’s National Director of Publicity, Chinwe Nnorom, the suspension of Ologunagba and Ajibade was confirmed following a decision made at the NWC’s 593rd meeting on Thursday. The committee ordered both officials to step aside pending investigations into
allegations against them. A special investigative committee led by Deputy National Chairman (South), Taofeek Arapaja, was formed to address the complaints.
However, in a dramatic turn of events, Ologunagba, on the same Friday, announced the suspension of Damagum and Anyanwu. In his statement, he cited grievances against the two officials, particularly their involvement in a letter sent to the Court of Appeal regarding a case involving 27 former members of the Rivers State House of Assembly who defected from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Ologunagba’s statement read, “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, especially regarding their letter to the Court of Appeal in Appeal No: CA/PH/307/2024, opposing the party’s stance in the case of the 27 former Rivers State Assembly members who defected to the APC.”
The NWC condemned what it called "anti-party activity" by Damagum and Anyanwu, stating that their actions violated the PDP Constitution and their Oaths of Office. As a result, the NWC invoked Sections 57, 58, and 59 of the party's constitution to suspend both officials and referred their cases to the National Disciplinary Committee for further investigation.
During this period, both Damagum and Anyanwu are suspended from all party meetings, activities, and programs until the disciplinary process is completed.
