By Caleb Ishaya, Abuja
State Governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, are set to meet today as crisis threatens doom for the main opposition party in Nigeria.
The governors are expected to explore today’s meeting “to fashion out options to save the party’s soul”, according to multiple sources.
The governors meeting is likely going to have as outcome sack of the National Working Committee, NWC, members by the National Executive Committee, NEC, and the appointment of a caretaker committee to steer affairs of the party until December 2025 when the tenure of the present NWC is supposed to elapse.
The party was factionalised following the suspension of its National Legal Adviser, Adeyemi Ajibade, and the National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, by a faction of the National Working Committee, NWC, led by the acting national chairman, Umar Damagum, last Friday, after the 593rd meeting of the NWC held a day earlier.
AljazirahNigeria recalls that the fault lines in the PDP widened when its national leadership split into two factions headed by Yayari Ahmed Mohammed, and PDP acting National Chairman, Damagum.
Ibrahim Abdullahi and Okechukwu Osuoha were appointed by the faction to replace Mohammed as well as Damagun in capacities.
The PDP had last Friday fixed a NEC meeting for October 24 to elect a substantive national chairman who will complete the tenure of Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, while Damagum is expected to revert to his position as National Vice Chairman (North).
However, in a counter statement, National Publicity Secretary, Ologunagba announced the suspension of Damagum and the National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, by the NWC. This according to insider source was as a result of the rift between the ex-governor of Rivers State and his successor supposed godson and the alleged roles played by Damagun and Anyanwu against the Governor Fubara of Rivers State over the public defecation of 27 lawmakers loyal to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike. Damagum was alleged to have gone against the interest of the party by sponsoring a legal representative and wrote a letter against the party at the court of appeal as a result of the party lost out. The National publicity secretary and the legal adviser according to the source raised the issue during the meeting but instead were tagged insubordination thereby suspended . The duo of Legal Adviser and the Publicity secretary also announced the suspension of the Acting Chairman and the Secretary for an alleged Anti-party activities.
Amid the raging crisis Justice Peter Lifu of a Federal High Court, Abuja, issued a restraining order against Damagum’s removal by the party’s NEC until December 2025. And Ambassador Damagun has since then crisscross the country reaching out to the 13 elected governors under the platform of PDP inorder to save the party from a total collapse.
AljazirahNigeria reports that baring any last minute change, big shots in the PDP will converge in the FCT at the Wadata house to brainstorm a way forward.
