The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, took on a new dimension as two factions within the National Working Committee, NWC, slammed suspension and counter suspension on its members.
Earlier on Thursday, a faction of the NWC loyal to the acting national chairman, Umar Damagum, announced the suspension of the National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade, and the National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, for alleged disloyalty to the party.
However, in a dramatic twist, Mr Ologunagba, in a statement on Friday, also announced the suspension of Mr Damagum and the national secretary, Samuel Anyanwu.
He cited the role the duo played in the legal tussle between pro-Wike Rivers State House of Assembly members and Governor Sim Fubara.
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 201] 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 an investigation by the National Disciplinary Committee.”
In the statement suspending the party spokesman and legal adviser, Chinwe Nnorom, a National Director of Publicity at the party headquarters, the said the two officers have been replaced with their deputies, pending the outcome of an investigation.
She said: “The National Working Committee, NWC, of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, arising from its 593rd Meeting has directed the National Publicity Secretary, NPS, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, and the National Legal Adviser, NLA, Kamaldeen Adeyemi Ajibade, SAN, to step aside, respectively.
“Following the NWC’s decision, it directed their respective deputies [DNPS and DNLA] to assume office in acting capacity with effect from Friday, October 11, 2014, pending the conclusion of the investigation by the Committee.”
