PDP NWC Suspends Acting Chairman Umar Damagum and National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu Over Anti-Party Allegations
The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has suspended its Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, and National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, over alleged anti-party activities, PulseNets learned.
Debo Ologunagba, the party’s Publicity Secretary, disclosed this in a statement released in the early hours of Friday, PulseNets reported.
According to PulseNets, the suspension follows numerous allegations of anti-party conduct against Damagum and Anyanwu, which had led party members to call for their removal. Despite the allegations, Mr. Damagum had consistently denied them at various forums, asserting that his leadership would steer the party back into power.
However, in the statement issued by the party’s spokesperson, the NWC members unanimously reviewed the accusations. PulseNets learnt that the alleged anti-party activities were primarily linked to a letter written by Damagum and Anyanwu to the Court of Appeal in Appeal No: CA/PH/307/2024. The letter allegedly contradicted the party’s stance in a case involving 27 former Rivers State House of Assembly members who vacated their seats after defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“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 2017) and their Oath of Office,” the statement noted.
Ologunagba further explained that the NWC deemed the actions of both officials to be in direct violation of the party’s constitution. Consequently, the NWC inaugurated a National Disciplinary Committee to take further action against the duo, PulseNets learnt.
He also clarified that Damagum and Anyanwu have been suspended from attending any party meetings pending the outcome of the disciplinary committee’s investigation.
“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.”
PulseNets also spoke to party insiders, who indicated that Mr. Damagum’s tenure had been under scrutiny since he took office in 2023 following the suspension of Iyorchia Ayu, who was removed by his ward and barred by a court order from continuing as chairman. Damagum, hailing from Yobe State in the North-east, was believed to have strong ties to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, who led efforts alongside other governors to unseat Ayu.
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Earlier this year, about 60 PDP members in the House of Representatives called for Damagum’s replacement with a substantive chairman from the North-central, PulseNets learnt. Despite these pressures, Damagum had survived an alleged ousting attempt during the party’s NEC meeting in April.
Additionally, Dino Melaye, former senator and PDP’s governorship candidate for Kogi State, had openly criticised Damagum and other national officers for anti-party activities. Shortly after his remarks, Mr. Melaye was suspended by his ward, PulseNets reported.
