Court Stops PDP NEC, BoT From Removing Party’s National Chairman, Umar Damagum

A Federal High Court in Abuja has issued a restraining order preventing the National Executive Committee (NEC) and Board of Trustees (BoT) of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) from removing Umar Damagum as the Acting National Chairman.

In his judgement on Friday, October 11, 2024 Justice Peter Lifu ruled that Umar Damagum must remain in his position until the party’s national convention in December 2025, stating that no one else should be recognized as the PDP national chairman before then.

This ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed by Senator Umar El-Gash Maina, who argued that some party members were holding secret meetings to illegally oust Damagum and replace him with former Kogi State Deputy Governor, Phillip Salawu.

Maina, the PDP chairman in Yobe State, claimed that despite sending two letters to the party’s National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, warning of the plot, no action was taken to address the issue.

Maina then took legal action, asking the court to enforce the PDP constitution, which stipulates that national officers can only be elected at the party’s national convention.

Justice Lifu agreed with the plaintiff, emphasizing that removing Damagum without following proper procedures, such as holding the national convention or receiving a court order, would violate the PDP’s constitution.

The judge noted that the national chairmanship is rotated between the northern and southern regions, and the northern region’s tenure had not yet been completed.

The court dismissed the defendants’ objections, stating that Maina had sufficient standing to file the case, as he was protecting the party’s constitution and defending the rights of the northern region.

The court ultimately ruled that the PDP NEC and BoT must adhere to the party’s rules and cannot remove Damagum from his position until the national convention.

KanyiDaily recalls that the PDP crisis recently intensified when a faction of the party suspended the acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum and National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu.