Fresh Crisis Rocks PDP Over Congresses

The recent party congresses have caused a fresh crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) following allegations that the acting national chairman of the party, Ambassador Illiya Damagum, and the national organising secretary, Captain Umar Bature, are altering the results of the recent congresses held in states.

This revelation was made by former PDP national publicity secretary Kola Ologbondiyan, who also lambasted the Damagum and the national secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, for writing to the Appeal Court in Rivers State to insist that the party would remain on appeal over the embattled 27 lawmakers in Rivers State, contrary to the position of the party’s legal adviser, Mr. Ajibade, SAN.

The former party spokesman said the acting national chairman breached the party’s constitution by taking that action without recourse to the national legal adviser who, he said, is empowered by Section 42 (1) to nominate legal representation for the party.

Ologbondiyan, therefore, called on other National Working Committee (NWC) members who do not support Damagum’s action to invoke an emergency NWC meeting to pass a vote of no confidence on the acting national chairman and the national secretary of the party.

The case, marked PHC/2177/CS/2024, centres on a dispute over the defection of 27 PDP members of the Rivers State House of Assembly to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on December 11, 2023.

LEADERSHIP reports that the PDP recently conducted its ward and local government congresses. The buildup to the exercise in some states, like Kogi and Benue, has led to intense exchanges among party leaders in the states.

However, speaking as a guest on Arise TV, Ologbondiyan, while reacting to the incident in Rivers, said, “When I first saw that letter, I couldn’t believe it because it was unthinkable that the acting national chairman and national secretary of our party will write a letter even in contravention of section 42 (1) of the party’s constitution which confers the authority to nominate legal representation for any national legal matter on the national legal adviser.

“That the acting national chairman, Ambassador Illiya Damagum and Senator Anyanwu will institute a letter to the court of appeal, I didn’t believe it. But 24 hours have passed, and I am like: what kind of a considerable embarrassment is this? What kind of disgust is this?

“But that is where we have found our party. And I didn’t even find it strange, especially as the Benue chapter of our party, that High Chief Sesgu Angba is coming out to give a narration of what is happening in nearly every state of the federation where processes of congresses are being manipulated by the organising secretary, Capt Bature, Damagum and Senator Anyanwu.

“I don’t understand what the purpose of all this is meant to achieve, but this is worrisome. And since yesterday, party leaders have all been calling and talking to each other, asking, “Is this the end? Is this where this leadership is taking us?

“I have said in your morning programme before that it is strange and unbelievable that the acting national chairman of the party is in court against the working committee where he presides, in court against the National Executive Committee, in court against the Board of Trustees.

“So he is in court against all the organs of the party just because he wants to sit tight and not return to his position as acting chairman,” he said.

According to Ologbondiyan, there is a script to destroy the party,  with the events playing out in Rivers State, where the court matter emanated, showing that the acting chairman is acting the script of the minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.

Ologbondiyan further accused Damagum of unilaterally altering the party’s timetable for the congresses, which extended the holding of an NEC meeting till September.

“In the circumstance that the party has found itself, I think that what can happen now is for other members who do not believe in the actions and activities of the acting national chairman and the national secretary, who do not support the contravention of section 42(1) to immediately invoke a National Working Committee meeting and pass a vote of no confidence on Damagum and Anyanwu; that is what party members expect,” he said.

Over the weekend, opposition federal lawmakers had accused Damagum and Anyanwu of orchestrating a plot to undermine the party’s interests in Rivers State.

The group led by Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere said Damagun and Anyawu opposed the PDP national legal adviser’s move to ensure that the pro-Wike sacked APC lawmakers who defected from the PDP were neutralised and stopped from harming PDP interests and the possible removal of Governor Siminalayi Fubara as Rivers’ governor

Ugochinyere explained that the Rivers State High Court had issued an ex parte order on July 8, 2024, restraining key state officials from interacting with the defected lawmakers.

However, he alleged Dr. J.Y. Musa, SAN, filed an appeal against this order, despite opposition from the PDP’s national legal adviser.

He said, “The National Legal Adviser, constitutionally empowered to protect the interests of the PDP, had already moved to withdraw the appeal on July 24, 2024, recognising its potential harm to the party.

“However, in a shocking turn of events, on August 15, 2024, Damagum and Anyanwu sent a letter to the Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt, dissociating themselves from the withdrawal, effectively undermining the legal adviser’s authority, ” Ugochinyere said.