Onyekachi Eze Pressure is mounting for the acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ambassador Umar Damagum, to yield the position for candidate from North Central to serve out Dr. Iyorchia Ayu’s tenure.
Damagum who is believed to be enjoying the support of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike, has tacitly used the shift of the PDP National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting to remain in office.
He had through his acolytes, Umar Maina and Zanna Gaddama, obtained court judgement stopping PDP from removing him from office till December 2025, when the tenure of the current National Working Committee (NWC) would end.
The NEC meeting, which had suffered three postponements since August this year, is now scheduled to hold next February, which in the expectations of PDP governors, the court cases hindering Demagum’s removal would have been resolved.
Sunday Telegraph gathered that there is determination by PDP stakeholders to end the crisis in the party and reposition it for the 2027 general elections.
A major boost in this direction is the unity among PDP stakeholders from the North Central, to be allowed to serve out Ayu’s tenure.
Stakeholders from the zone who met a few weeks ago, appealed to other zones in the Northern region to allow them to fill the vacant seat of the party’s National Chairmanship position.
They noted in a communiqué at the end of the meeting, that the PDP constitution states that “for succession of offices in the party at all levels, which is largely to the extent that any vacant position, can be replaced by appointment from the zone as per Section 47 (6) of the party.”
They, therefore, enjoined PDP to be guided by its own constitution, and urged the party leadership “to rise up to the occasion to restore goodwill and cohesion in the party by making necessary sacrifices and compromises to restore confidence and cohesion in the party.
“It is in the light of this that the stakeholders of the North Central zone appealed to the conscience and goodwill of our compatriots in other zones of the Northern region to restore the seat of the Chairmanship of the party back to the North Central zone to serve out its tenure.
“North Central is united and will strive to preserve the PDP as a veritable platform for good governance in Nigeria.”
Present at the meeting included the only PDP governor from the zone, Caleb Muftwang; two Presidents of the Senate, Senator David Mark and Senator Bukola Saraki; Senate Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro; former governors Gabriel Suswam (Benue), Jonah Jang (Plateau), Abdulfatai Ahmed (Kwara), Babangida Aliyu (Niger), and Idris Wada (Kogi).
This was the first time stakeholders from the zone would be speaking in one voice. The lack of unanimity among them is blamed on the inability of the party to resolve the leadership crisis.
The Court of Appeal judgement in Enugu delivered on December 20, that sacked Senator Samuel Anyanwu as PDP National Secretary, is seen a big setback to Wike’s camp.
The court had earlier asked Anyanwu in December 2023, to vacate the position for the former National Youth Leader Sunday Ude-Okoye, who was the choice of PDP South-East stakeholders for the post, following Anyanwu’s emergence as the party candidate for Imo State governorship election. But he had used the excuse that he had appealed against the judgement to remain in office.
The enrolled order of the judgement signed by Mrs. Ajanwachukwu Rose, for Deputy Registered, sighted by Sunday Telegraph, declared Anyanwu’s appeal as “unmeritorious” and accordingly dismissed it at no cost. The judgement was delivered by Justice R. M. Abdullahi.
PDP National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba confirmed to this newspaper that the certified true copy of the judgement of the Court of Appeal, which affirmed Ude-Okoye as the substantive National Secretary of the party, has been served on the party through the office of the National Legal Adviser.
“I have confirmed from the office of the National Legal Adviser that it has received the enrolled order of the judgement,” Ologunagba stated.
A source told Sunday Telegraph that “the judgement was received and acknowledged at the office of the National Legal Adviser at the PDP National Secretariat in Abuja on Tuesday, December 24, 2024.
“With acknowledgement of the Appeal Court judgement, the party now accepts Ude-Okoye as replacement for Senator Samuel Anyanwu as the PDP National Secretary.”
He claimed that Anyanwu has failed to obtain an order to stay the execution of the judgement ousting him from office.
Said Ologunagba, “the judgement is clear. PDP is a party of law and order. “We are going to look at what the judgement says, and under the constitution of the country, the judgement of the court has to be obeyed.
“PDP is going to study the judgement and implement the order.” Ude-Okoye, by the order of the court, was to assume office within 24 hours. The party secretariat has, however, closed for its annual vacation.
Sunday Telegraph gathered that the judgement was seen as a step towards rebuilding the party after the 2023 general elections.
The source said: “We united and supported Ude-Okoye to take over. We are all together, including (Prince Uche) Secondus.”
Ude-Okoye who served in the NWC with Secondus, had a frosty relationship with him towards the end of their tenure. The incoming National Secretary, in an interactive session with journalists in Abuja, said he is enjoying the support of stakeholders from his zone, including the Chairman of PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) Senator Adolphus Wabara.
Wabara had at the meeting of the board last month, warned that the delay in convening the NEC meeting is eroding the confidence people have in PDP. “We recognise that challenges may arise during governance and administration, but adherence to timelines and commitments is non-negotiable.
“Let us remember that our strength lies in our unity and adherence to democratic principles. The NEC serves as a vital platform for decision-making, consultation, and collaboration among all levels of the party’s leadership.
“The strength of our party lies in our collective resolve, not in individual pursuits. We cannot afford to let personal ambitions or differences overshadow our shared vision for a better Nigeria,” he stated. He also disclosed that BoT has warned that there shall be no further postponement of the NEC meeting.
Some party stakeholders, including the BoT, are demanding that the North Central senatorial zone where Ayu comes from, should be allowed to serve out his tenure. But former Ogun State governorship aspirant Otunba Segun Sowumni, said the succession crisis in the party has been cured by the constitution. “Those who are talking, have they asked themselves what makes sense in having Deputy National Chairman (North) and Deputy National Chairman (South)? Are we such a party that will be creating structures for no reason?
“We created structure: one National Chairman and two Deputy National Chairmen because we wanted to make sure that if something happens to the Chairman who is a northerner, the Deputy National Chairman from the North takes over, and if something happens to the Chairman who is a southerner, the Deputy National Chairman from the South takes over.
“It is to cure what they are now quarrelling with that we created the two Deputy National Chairmen,” Sowunmi explained.
He argued that since the current National Working Committee (NWC) has few months left, there is no need of demanding for Damagum’s replacement.
“Even if you leave them to finish their tenure you lose nothing. Instead, we can start providing support and structures to help the party, instead of saying that if you lose out the party should die. I don’t agree,” he stated.
Sowunmi advised opponents of Damagum, to channel their energy in the reformation of the party. “There nothing in our laws that says we can’t have early convention, because at the rate they are going, if they are not careful, if they carry that grudge for a little while, we will run the risk of how do we prepare ourselves for the next primary,” he warned.
But a party source who pleaded anonymity, said Damagum is sitting on a borrowed chair.
He argued that the constitution provides that the zone where the former national officer comes from should produce the replacement. “That is the spirit of the PDP. Damagum should know that he is sitting on a borrowed chair.
“The BoT of the party knows the position better; that explains the party stands. The BoT is the conscience of the party. Governors come and go but the BoT remains. In the party hierarchy, BoT is bigger than the governors,” he stated.
