The main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been plunged into another round of crisis, with a faction aligned with the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, announcing the suspension of the party’s acting national chairman and five other senior officials.
The move, which represents the most significant split in the party in recent years, was announced by the PDP’s National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, in Abuja on Saturday.
He spoke to journalists as part of a faction of the National Working Committee (NWC), the party’s key decision-making body.
Senator Anyanwu declared that the Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, had been suspended for one month and referred to the party’s Disciplinary Committee. He cited allegations of “incompetence, financial misconduct, and disregard for court judgment.”
The faction also suspended the National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, for “issuing statements without the party’s approval.” Also suspended were the Deputy National Vice Chairman (South), Taofeek Arapaja; the National Financial Secretary, Daniel Woyengikoro, for his involvement in “alleged financial misconduct”; the National Youth Leader, Sulaiman Kadade; and the Deputy National Secretary, Setonji Koshoedo. All were suspended for 30 days and referred to the Disciplinary Committee.
In a decisive move, the group named the party’s National Vice Chairman for the North Central zone, Mohammed Abdulrahman, as the new Acting National Chairman.
The announcement exposes the deep internal divisions that have plagued the PDP since its loss of the 2023 presidential election. The faction led by Minister Wike, a former PDP governor who now serves in President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet, has been a persistent source of internal conflict.
The crisis appears to centre on a struggle for control of the party’s leadership and direction. Senator Anyanwu’s statement directly challenged the legitimacy of actions taken against his own group, suggesting a power struggle within the NWC.
“Unfortunately, some people may say that the National Secretary, National Organising Secretary who has the responsibility of monitoring everything and the National Legal Adviser, who is responsible for all legal issues, were purportedly suspended,” Anyanwu stated.
He continued, outlining the faction’s position: “On this note, we decided to suspend the National Chairman of the party, Ambassador Ilya Damagum, for incompetence, financial misconduct, and disregard for court judgment. He has been suspended for one month and should face the Disciplinary Committee.”
The faction also provided specific reasoning for the other suspensions, stating, “Secondly, we also suspended the National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, for issuing statements without the party’s approval, and the Deputy National Vice Chairman (South), Taofeek Arapaja, has also been suspended.”
Regarding the Financial Secretary, they said, “The National Financial Secretary, Daniel Woyenguikoro, who has been involved in alleged financial misconduct, has also been suspended.”
Finally, they confirmed the new leadership, stating, “Therefore, we are announcing the National Vice Chairman (North Central) to serve as the Acting National Chairman, Mohammed Abdulrahman.”
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