Fresh twist as court bars PDP NEC, BoT from sacking Damagum as acting chairman
A fresh twist has emerged in the turmoil rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as a Federal High Court in Abuja has restrained the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) and Board of Trustees (BoT) from removing Ambassador Iliya Umar Damagum as the Acting National Chairman.
In a judgement delivered by Justice Peter Lifu, the court ordered that only Damagum should be recognised as the PDP chairman until the party conducts its national convention, scheduled for December 2025.
Justice Lifu’s order against PDP NEC, BoT, and others came while delivering judgment in a suit instituted against respondents by Senator Umar El-Gash Maina.
According to the judge, in line with Articles 42, 47, and 67 of the PDP, national officers can be elected only at the national convention of the party.
He held that PDP members are bound by the party’s constitution and must always act accordingly.
Maina alleges secret plots to remove Damagum
The plaintiff, who claimed to be chairman of PDP in Yobe State, brought the case against PDP and eight others alleging some of the party’s stakeholders were holding secret meetings to forcefully oust Damagum in gross violation of the party’s constitution.
Maina claimed that Phillip Salawu, a former Deputy Governor of Kogi State was being prepared as Damagum’s replacement.
He said upon discovering the covert plan, two letters of complaints were delivered to the party’s National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu.
He claimed that despite receiving and acknowledging the letters, Anyanwu and BoT members have never deemed it fit to act on them.
In the suit instituted by his counsel, Joshua Musa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, the plaintiff prayed the court to invoke articles 45, 47, and 67 of the PDP constitution to stop the move to replace Damagum as the acting National Chairman.
Specifically, Maina asked the court to declare that the national chairmanship of the PDP is rotated between the north and south regions and not through any other procedure not captured in the PDP’s Constitution.
After perusing the PDP’s Constitution and exhibits, Justice Lifu agreed with the plaintiff that Damagum can only be replaced at the national convention of the PDP or through an order of a court.
The judge also stated that any attempt to truncate the four-year tenure of the northern region, which has not been completed, by any means other than the national convention will amount to an affront to the party’s constitution.
Earlier, the judge dismissed the respondents’ argument in the suit because the plaintiff had no locus standi to bring the case and that the court lacked jurisdiction to hear it.
Justice Lifu held that the plaintiff’s suit was predicated on the protection of the PDP constitution from being violated and the northern region where he is from is being short-changed.
Having displayed his PDP membership card before the court and having raised the fundamental issue of protection of the party’s constitution, the plaintiff had sufficient interest and justifiable cause to institute the case.
Therefore, Justice Lifu declared that 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, having been appointed from the northern region where a former national chairman Iyorchia Ayu hailed from, Damagum is entitled to serve out the remaining tenure of the national chairman.
Recall a faction of the PDP National Working Committee had earlier announced the suspension of Damagum as the party’s national chairman on Friday.
The group also suspended Anyanwu over claims of anti-party activities and misconduct.
