By Abiola Olawale
A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has maintained Ambassador Illiya Damagun who was earlier sacked on Friday as the party’s acting National Chairman, remains fired.
The faction of the just-suspended National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba said that no court order stopped the PDP’s National Working Committee (NWC) from sacking Damagun.
The factional party argued that there was no Federal or State High Court order when it sacked Damagun as PDP’s acting National Chairman.
They also maintained that Alhaji Yayari Ahmed Mohammed remains the acting chair, while the party awaits the NEC meeting later this month.
This was contained in a press release issued on Friday.
The statement reads in part: “Court order didn’t stop PDP before they sacked Damagun and replaced him with Yayari Ahmed Mohammed.
“Justice Lifu’s order in favour of pro-Wike’s APC-backed PDP faction led by Damagun came after the PDP NWC had suspended the former national chairman, Umar Damagun and appointed Yayari Ahmed Mohammed as acting National Chairman.”
It would be recalled that the PDP has been embroiled in a web of suspensions and counter-suspensions since early Friday.
Ologunagba, in an earlier statement he issued on Friday, announced the suspension of Damagum and the national secretary, Samuel Anyanwu.l by the PDP’s NWC.
Ologunagba proclaimed that the suspension followed due process and it was in line with the PDP laid down protocols.
The statement issued by Ologunagba reads in part: “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 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.
“Consequently, the NWC, puunderections 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.”
However, the statement issued by Damagum’s faction reads in part: “The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) arising from its 593rd Meeting today, Thursday, October 10, 2024, has directed the National Publicity Secretary (NPS), Hon Debo Ologunagba and National Legal Adviser (NLA), Kamaldeen Adeyemi Ajibade, SAN, to step aside.
“As a result, the NWC constituted a committee to be chaired by the Deputy National Chairman (South) H.E. Amb. Taofeek Arapaja, to investigate the issues raised against the officers in compliance with the provisions of the Constitution of the Party.”
