The internal leadership crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has intensified, with governors elected on the party’s platform scheduled to convene tomorrow to seek a resolution.
The party’s internal leadership crisis escalated on Friday, resulting in a division of its national leadership into two factions. One group is led by Yayari Ahmed Mohammed, while the other is headed by acting National Chairman Iliya Umar Damagum.
This split followed the suspension of PDP’s National Legal Adviser, Adeyemi Ajibade, and National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, by a faction of the National Working Committee (NWC) aligned with Damagum. In a swift retaliation, the opposing faction, led by Ologunagba, announced the suspension of Damagum and National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu, citing several grievances against them.
Adding to the chaos, the Federal High Court in Abuja, under Justice Peter Lifu, issued an order on Friday preventing Damagum’s removal as acting national chairman until December 2025. This ruling, handed down just hours after his suspension was publicized, has further plunged the party into confusion.
PDP had initially planned a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting for October 24, aiming to elect a new national chairman to complete the term of former chairman Dr. Iyorchia Ayu. Damagum was expected to return to his role as National Vice Chairman (North) following the election, but recent events have cast doubt on this plan.
According to THISDAY, PDP governors are now considering various strategies to address the crisis. One option on the table is dissolving the entire NWC and appointing a caretaker committee to manage party affairs until the NWC’s current term ends in December 2025. Another possibility is allowing the October 24 NEC meeting to proceed as planned to elect a successor to Ayu.
Reports suggest that Damagum, who was briefing Bauchi State Governor and Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Bala Mohammed, about the NWC meeting when his suspension was announced, may not have initiated the court case himself. Sources say he is unlikely to use the court order to block ongoing peace efforts.
Further heightening tensions, one senior PDP official allegedly ordered the offices of suspended officials Ajibade and Ologunagba to be broken into and their locks changed. However, the directive had not been executed, with party leaders questioning the urgency and motive behind the move. Notably, the office of former National Chairman Iyorchia Ayu has remained untouched amid the turmoil.
Additionally, new allegations have emerged against Damagum, including claims that he exceeded his financial limits by donating N35 million—well above his authorized limit of N10 million—to flood victims in Maiduguri, Borno State, without NWC approval.
As the October 24 NEC meeting draws near, tomorrow’s meeting of PDP governors will be pivotal in determining how the party addresses the leadership crisis that threatens to destabilize it further.
