PDP Crisis deepens as Damagun’s group threatens to arrest factional acting Chairman, others

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has threatened to arrest anybody claiming to be its acting national Chairperson other than Umar Damagun.

The party’s Deputy National Secretary, Ibrahim Mangu, issued the threat at a press conference in Abuja on Monday.

The threat comes amid reports that a factional acting chair of the party, Yayari Mohammed, would assume duty despite a court order restraining the party from removing Mr Damagun from office.

Crisis broke out in the opposition party on Thursday when the National Working Committee (NWC) suspended Debo Ologunagba, the National Publicity Secretary, and Kamaldeen Ajibade, the National Legal Adviser.

However, on Friday, Mr Ologunagba, in turn, announced the suspension of Mr Damagun and the National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, thus splitting the NWC, tasked with the party’s daily administration, into two.

Mr Ologunagba, allegedly enjoying the support of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, subsequently announced Mr Mohammed as the acting national chairperson.

On the same day, the Federal High Court in Abuja issued an order that Mr Damagum should be recognised as the PDP national chair until the party’s national convention, scheduled for December 2025.

During the press conference, Mr Manga, whom the Damagun group appointed to act as the party’s spokesperson, said the group would deploy security personnel to arrest any party members violating the court order.

“We are constrained to express our utter disgust and disappointment in our colleagues’ resort to “motor park” approach to a mere suspension aimed at providing them with the opportunity to clear themselves of certain allegations against them. Although we have detailed knowledge of the drummers, the masquerades should have been guided in their dance steps to avert stripping themselves naked on the stage.

“In the face of this reckless violation of a subsisting court order, we are hereby left with no option but to deploy the services of security agencies in the enforcement of the rule of law,” he said.

Mr Manga commended the intervention of the party’s Board of Trustees, the Governors Forum, and other party leaders in the crisis rocking the party.

“To this end, I want to very respectfully commend the intervention of the Chairman of the BoT, Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum and other well-meaning leaders of the party on the need to seek an amicable solution soonest,” he said.

He urged members of the party to remain focused and support Mr Damagun’s leadership, believed to have the backing of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike,

“In conclusion, we charge all our party members to remain focused and keep supporting the PDP Leadership under the Acting National Chairman, H.E. Amb Umar Iliya Damagum, until we achieve a lasting solution to our issues,” the spokesperson said.