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By Akeem Atoyebi
As the crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party escalates, new factional acting National Chairman Yayari Mohammed has mocked the rival National Working Committee led by Umar Damagum to make good their security threats.
Recall that earlier the acting National Publicity Secretary, Ibrahim Abdullahi of the Damagum-led NWC faction, at a press conference in Abuja on Monday had threatened to take security measures against Mohammed’s faction so as to uphold the rule of law during the ongoing internal disputes.
The opposition party has been in disarray and highly factionalized since 2022, which has divided its NWC.
The crisis took another turn last Friday when its national leadership split in two factions with Yayari Mohammed, and the acting national chairman, Umar Damagum, leading each of the two factions.
PDP’s factionalisation followed the suspension of its National Legal Adviser, Adeyemi Ajibade, and the National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, by a faction of the NWC led by Damagum, on Friday, after the 593rd meeting of the NWC on Thursday.
Ibrahim Abdullahi and Okechukwu Osuoha were appointed by the faction to replace the duo in acting capacities.
But in a counter statement, the National Publicity Secretary, Ologunagba announced the suspension of Damagum and the National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, by the NWC due to what the statement described as the series of complaints raised against the duo.
On the same day, a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja restrained the NEC, the highest decision-making organ of the party, and the Board of Trustees from removing Damagum as the acting national chairman.
In a judgment delivered via Zoom, Justice Peter Lifu ordered that apart from Damagum, no other person must be recognised as the PDP acting national chairman until the party’s convention scheduled for December 2025.
Speaking on the basis of the court order at the press conference on Monday, Abdullahi, warned the Mohammed group against disobeying the judgment recognising Damagum as the authentic chairman of the party.
He stated, “We must ensure that certain actions are not guided by sentiments and personal interests, but by the party’s constitution.
“In the face of this reckless violation of a subsisting court order, we are left with no option but to deploy the services of security agencies to enforce the rule of law.”
Abdullahi noted that to bolster the learning process of party leadership and administration, members must ensure that actions were based on the party’s constitution and existing guidelines, rather than influenced by “sentiments and personal interests.”
He stated that “Let all concerned know that the Deputy National Publicity Secretary, my humble self, now acting National Publicity Secretary and Deputy National Legal Adviser and now Acting National Legal Adviser assumed office following the Decision of the NWC; and it is in line with the PDP Constitution (2017 as Amended) following the absence of our substantive officers. It is made abundantly clear in Section 40(2) and 42(2).
“It is therefore distasteful for a leader who ought to inform the uninformed but instead goes ahead to misinform on a national television and other media channels that our assumption of office in acting capacity is unconstitutional and does not exist. Why?
“Furthermore, we are constrained to express our utter disgust and disappointment in our colleagues’ resort to motor park approach to a mere suspension aimed at providing them with the opportunity to clear themselves of certain allegations against them.
“Although we have detailed knowledge of the drummers, the masqueraders should have been guided in their dance steps to avert stripping themselves naked on the stage.”
However on Monday, new factional chairman Mohammed said that they would listen to the party leaders rather than respond to threats.
He stated, “We have submitted all our positions and views to the organs of the party: the governors’ forum, the Board of Trustees, and other members of the party. We have expressed our concerns and reasons for our stance.
“They have assured us that they will take a position and get back to us. Therefore, we are not worried about any threats; they should go ahead and carry out theirs.
“We have expressed our concerns clearly. The party’s constitution should be obeyed, and that is our demand.
“I am also sure that from now till Friday our leaders will get back to us. We will listen to them and not to threats.”
Meanwhile, the governors elected under the PDP adjourned their meeting regarding the crisis to Tuesday (today) after Monday’s meeting ended without the governors reaching a compromise.
