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Richard Ogunsile
Guest
Former Kogi West Senator, Dino Melaye, has stated Umar Damagum was not sacked but suspended as the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Recall that a PDP National Working Committee (NWC) faction suspended Damagum and the party’s national secretary, Samuel Anyanwu.
Subsequently, another factional NWC also suspended the party’s national publicity secretary, Debo Ologunagba and national legal adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade.
The development further stirred the crisis rocking the opposition party.
In a post via his X handle on Saturday morning, Melaye said the party have decided to obey the court which forbids PDP from sacking Damagum.
“In compliance with the court order, not to sack Damagum, he has been suspended and not sacked. We have obeyed the court order because PDP is a law-abiding party. The suspension will aid the resolution of the crisis in our party,” Melaye wrote on X.
Court Order
Naija News reported earlier that Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday held that Umar Damagum remains the legitimate National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and can only be removed through a national convention.
The decision followed a suit, numbered FHC/ABJ/CS/579/2024, filed by Senator Umar Maina against the PDP’s National Executive Committee (NEC) and Board of Trustees (BoT), among others.
Maina, the PDP chairman in Yobe State, alleged that some party members were plotting secret meetings to forcefully oust Damagum, which he argued contravened the PDP Constitution.
He further claimed that a plan was underway to install former Kogi State Deputy Governor Phillip Salawu as Damagum’s replacement.
According to Maina, he formally raised concerns about these clandestine efforts by submitting letters to PDP National Secretary Senator Samuel Anyanwu.
However, he stated that despite acknowledging his letters, the National Secretary and BoT did not act on them.
Through his counsel, Joshua Musa (SAN), Maina petitioned the court to apply Articles 45, 47, and 67 of the PDP Constitution to block any attempt to replace Damagum without following due process.
He emphasized that the party’s leadership should alternate between the northern and southern regions, as outlined in the party’s Constitution.
Upon reviewing the PDP Constitution, Justice Lifu affirmed that Damagum’s removal could only occur at a national convention or by a judicial order.
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