The Federal High Court in Abuja has issued a restraining order against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), preventing the party from replacing Umar Damagum as its acting chairman.
This ruling comes in response to a lawsuit filed by Umar El-Gash Maina and Zanna Mustapha Gaddama on May 2, challenging any attempt to remove Damagum from his position.
Presiding Judge Peter Lifu delivered the ruling on May 3, issuing an interim order that prohibits the PDP and its relevant bodies from nominating a replacement for Damagum until the court makes a final determination.
Judge Lifu stated, “The defendants/respondents are hereby restrained in the interim from appointing, selecting, or nominating any person to replace Amb. Umar Illiya Damagum as national chairman or acting national chairman of the 1st defendant/respondent pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice already filed, which is herein fixed against the 14th of May, 2024,” the judge ruled.
“The defendants/respondents, by themselves, agents, privies, or by any proxy, are hereby in the interim restrained from, according to recognition, any person other than Amb. Umar Illiya Damagum as acting national chairman of the 1st defendants/respondents or giving effect to or acting upon any document purporting to be signed by the national chairman or acting national chairman of the 1st defendant without the name and signature of Amb. Umar Illiya Damagum pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice already filed in court in the instant suit.
“The applicants are herein ordered to enter into a fresh undertaking to pay damages to the respondents (to be assessed by the court) if, at the end of the day, it is discovered that this order ought not to have been granted or that the honourable court was misled into granting the same.”
The court further ordered that any documents purportedly signed by the national chairman or acting national chairman of the PDP must bear the name and signature of Amb. Umar Illiya Damagum until the case is resolved. Additionally, the applicants were instructed to enter into an undertaking to pay damages to the respondents if the court finds the order was wrongly granted.
The case has been adjourned to May 14 for further hearing.
Umar Damagum assumed the role of acting chairman of the PDP following the suspension of Iyorchia Ayu in March 2023. However, internal party tensions arose when some members, particularly those loyal to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, accused Damagum of bias and allegiance to Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Despite the internal rifts, Damagum received support from influential party members like Wike, who advocated for his continuation in the position. The PDP’s National Working Committee (NWC) passed a vote of confidence in Damagum during a meeting on April 18.
Party spokesperson Debo Ologunagba clarified, “The issue of whether Damagum should remain or be removed from office has been deferred,” adding that Damagum would continue as acting national chairman until the next NEC meeting, as stipulated by the party’s constitution.
The legal battle over Damagum’s position underscores the complexities within the PDP leadership and the political maneuvering at play within the party.