The National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic(PDP) has suspended the party’s Acting National Chairman, Amb. Umar Damagum.
It also announced the suspension of the National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu.
The duo were suspended for alleged anti-party activities.
This new turn of events only adds to the protracted crisis that is rocking the PDP.
The decision to suspend the two national officers was taken at its 593rd (emergency) meeting held by a majority of members of the NWC which ended in the early hours of Friday.
National Publicity Secretary of the party, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, confirmed this development in a statement that conveyed the NWC’s decision made at 3:18am.
In part, the 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 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.”
Recall that the Board of Trustees (BoT) of PDP met on Thursday 10th October 2024 for its 78th meeting of the board.
During their meeting, the BoT had enjioned all party members to endeavour to appear before the party’s disciplinary committee should they be summoned.
Chairman of the BoT, Senator Adolphus Wabara , had urged the NWC to expediate action and ensure that the party’s National Executive Committee, NEC, meets on October 24th as scheduled.
However, a factional NWC also announced the suspension of the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba and the National Legal Adviser Kamaldeen Ajibade.
The party’s National Director of Publicity, Chinwe Nnorom, announced their suspension in a statement on Friday.
This faction of the NWC directed Ologunagba and Ajibade to step aside pending an investigation into allegations against them.
The NWC also constituted a committee, chaired by Deputy National Chairman (South) Taofeek Arapaja, to investigate the issues raised against those suspended.
