The ongoing crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took a turn for the worst on Friday with the suspension of Iliya Damagum, the party’s acting national chairman and Samuel Anyanwu, the national secretary.
Debo Ologunagba, national publicity secretary of the party, had issued a statement early Friday morning announcing their suspension over alleged anti-party activities.
The statement was entitled, ‘Press release on Decision of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP on the Reported Anti-Party Activity by the Acting National Chairman, Amb. Illiya Damagum and National Secretary, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu,’ and was signed by Ologunagba.
According to the statement, “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 with regard to 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.
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“Consequently, the NWC, pursuant to Sections 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.
“In the meantime, the two officials are suspended from all meetings, activities and programs of the NWC pending the conclusion of investigation by the National Disciplinary Committee.”
Counter suspension
A counter statement was however issued by Ibrahim Abdullahi Manga, who signed as Ag. National Publicity Secretary,PDP, also announcing the suspension of Debo Ologunagba and the party’s National Legal Adviser.
According to the counter statement, their suspension was based on what they described as “Act of Insubordination”.
“Arising from its 593rd meeting,10th October,2024,the National Working Committee has suspended the National Publicity Secretary and the National Legal Adviser of the Party, pending the determination of allegations of disloyalty and insubordination levelled against the duo,” Manga’s statement read.
“In the meantime,the Deputies in the respective DIRECTORATES,Ibrahim Abdullahi and Barr Okechukwu Osuoha, have stepped-in in acting capacity.”
This is a developing story, details later…
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