The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has suspended its Acting National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum, and the National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, over allegations of anti-party activities. This decision marks a significant escalation in the ongoing internal crisis within the party.
The suspension was announced following an emergency meeting of the PDP’s National Working Committee (NWC) in Abuja, which ended in the early hours of Friday. The majority of the committee members supported the move, reflecting growing discontent within the leadership ranks.
Debo Ologunagba, the PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, confirmed the development in a statement issued at 3:18 a.m. He explained that the suspension was linked to complaints against the two officials, particularly concerning a letter they sent to the Court of Appeal, challenging the party’s stance on a case involving 27 former members of the Rivers State House of Assembly. These members had vacated their seats after defecting 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,” Ologunagba said in the statement.
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He added that both Damagum and Anyanwu had been suspended under Sections 57, 58, and 59 of the PDP Constitution. “They are referred to the National Disciplinary Committee for further action,” Ologunagba continued. “In the meantime, the two officials are suspended from all meetings, activities, and programs of the NWC pending the conclusion of the investigation.”
The internal conflict within the PDP has been intensifying, and this suspension is seen as a bold move by the party’s leadership to maintain discipline and unity. The NWC’s decision to suspend two high-ranking officials signals that the party will not tolerate actions deemed harmful to its stability.
Earlier, the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) had called on all members to comply with the disciplinary committee if summoned. BoT Chairman, Senator Adolphus Wabara, during the board’s 78th meeting, urged the NWC to move quickly to address internal issues and ensure that the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting scheduled for October 24 proceeds as planned.