The ongoing rift in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has intensified as loyalists of former vice president, Atiku Abubakar are now pushing back against Ambassador Umar Damagum’s continued role as the acting national chairman.
They argue that Damagum’s position as acting chairman, which was originally intended as a temporary solution, has now exceeded its scope.
Atiku’s supporters are said to be assembling legal teams, reportedly under the guidance of prominent Senior Advocates of Nigeria, to appeal a court order that prevents the PDP’s National Executive Committee (NEC) from removing Damagum from office.
A member of the party’s NEC familiar with the development told Vanguard, “Of course, we are appealing the court order.
“Go back to the resolution of our 98th NEC meeting held on April 18th. It was resolved that the NWC should conduct congresses at the relevant levels in states where the tenures of their executives have lapsed and prepare grounds for a replacement for Dr. Iyiorchia Ayu who resigned from his position.
“But for some strange reasons, Damagum has found one excuse or another to cling to power in an acting capacity by refusing to convene NEC.
“To further complicate matters, he caused his lieutenants in Yobe State, to go to court to restrain the Board of Trustees and NEC from removing him from office.
“This man is still the Deputy National Chairman (North), a position he also holds today.
“How can a man who says he has the party’s best interest at heart, go to court and tie our hands by removing one of the main items on the agenda of our NEC meeting?
“We have news for him, he can’t be acting chairman in perpetuity. That judgement or whatever it is will be appealed and vacated.”
This internal friction within the PDP is particularly prominent between the camps of Atiku and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
