PDP Leadership Crisis: Acting National Chairman Umar Damagum May Step Down Next Week

The acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ambassador Umar Damagum, may step down from his position next week, following decisions made by the party’s governors during a meeting in Akure, Ondo State. The governors reached this decision as part of efforts to resolve the crisis that has caused division within the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).

Sources close to the discussions revealed that the PDP governors were concerned about the growing factionalization of the NWC and sought to reunite the party to ensure its stability. During the Akure meeting, which took place before the official launch of the PDP’s governorship campaign in the state, the governors agreed to allow Damagum to remain in his role until the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, which is scheduled for October 24, 2024.

Present at the meeting were key party figures, including Damagum, Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja, the PDP Deputy National Chairman (South), and Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, who is also the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum. Governors Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Ademola Adeleke (Osun), and other party leaders were also in attendance.

The gathering in Akure followed a virtual meeting of the PDP Governors’ Forum held on Monday. During that meeting, Governor Adeleke expressed concern about how the leadership crisis could impact his re-election campaign in 2026. He is the first among the party’s current first-term governors to seek re-election, and he stressed the importance of unity within the party to secure victory.

Reports indicate that tensions arose during the virtual meeting when Adeleke questioned Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State for not supporting the North-Central’s bid to retain the chairmanship, despite being from the region and a first-term governor. Mutfwang, however, responded that he now supported the emergence of a chairman from the North-Central, as a way to resolve the crisis in accordance with the party’s constitution.

Governors Makinde, Mutfwang, Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), and Agbu Kefas (Taraba) had initially opposed the removal of Damagum. This group is believed to be aligned with Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), whom Damagum is said to support. However, during the virtual meeting, Makinde reportedly suggested offering Damagum a “soft landing” if he stepped down, leading to the continuation of discussions in Akure.

At the Akure meeting, the governors agreed that while Damagum would remain as acting chairman for a few more days, the NEC meeting would be used to finalize the North-Central’s nomination for the role and to set potential dates for a national convention. The governors also emphasized the need to resolve pending legal disputes within the party.

In a related development, the PDP Governors’ Forum called on party members to withdraw all court cases related to the party’s leadership crisis. This decision follows a recent ruling by the Federal High Court in Abuja, which ordered the PDP’s NEC and Board of Trustees (BoT) not to remove Damagum as the acting national chair until the party’s convention scheduled for December 2025. The court’s decision came shortly after a faction led by Ahmed Yayari Mohammed announced Damagum’s suspension.

The forum’s communiqué, issued after Monday’s virtual meeting and further discussed in Akure, urged unity among the NWC members. “The NWC should revert to the status quo and remain united in the interest of the party and the nation,” the statement read. The communiqué also lifted all suspensions previously issued against officials within the NWC, aiming to restore harmony.

In recent months, the Damagum-led NWC had suspended the National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, and the National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN). Conversely, the faction led by Yayari Mohammed suspended Damagum and National Secretary Senator Samuel Anyanwu. Addressing this, the communiqué stated, “There are no factions in the party and minor issues should not be blown out of proportion. We also urge that occupants of positions of responsibility should be mindful of their vow to serve and grow the party from strength to strength, consolidating on the dreams of our founding fathers.”

The communiqué, signed by Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, listed the participants of the meetings, which included Governor Siminalayi Fubara (Rivers), Senator Douye Diri (Bayelsa), Godwin Obaseki (Edo), Makinde (Oyo), Adeleke (Osun), Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), Fintiri (Adamawa), Mutfwang (Plateau), and Peter Mbah (Enugu).