Rivers: PDP crisis deepens as factional national leadership issue suspensions
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has launched into further crisis over the long-drawn political battle in Rivers State.
Early Friday morning, a wing of the National Working Committee (NWC) loyal to Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara announced the suspension of the Acting National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Illiya Damagum, and the National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, for giving support to the FCT Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Barrister Nyesom Wike, against Fubara.
Earlier, a faction of the party’s (NWC) which is aligned with Damagum, announced the suspension of the National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade, and the National Publicity Secretary, Barrister Debo Ologunagba, for alleged disloyalty to the party.
But in a statement on Friday, l Ologunagba said the NWC suspended Damagum and Anyanwu as a result of the letter they addressed to the Court of Appeal against PDP’s position in the case involving the 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, who the party said vacated their seats upon defection from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Ologunagba said the duo are barred from all meetings of the party and are to face the disciplinary committee of the PDP.
The party spokesman said: “The National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP has extensively considered the series of complaints raised against the Acting National Chairman, Ambassador Illiya Damagum and National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, particularly with regard to the letter addressed by them to the Court of Appeal in Appeal against the party’s position in the case involving the 27 former members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, who vacated their seats upon decamping from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress, APC.
“The NWC condemned this anti-party activity of the Acting National Chairman and the National Secretary, which is in gross violation of the provisions of the PDP Constitution (as amended in 2017) and their Oath of Office.
“Consequently, the NWC, pursuant to Sections 57, 58 and 59 of the PDP Constitution, has suspended Ambassador Illiya Damagum and Senator Samuel Anyanwu as Acting National Chairman and National Secretary of the Party, respectively, and referred them to the National Disciplinary Committee for further action.
“In the meantime, the two officials are suspended from all meetings, activities and programmes of the NWC, pending the conclusion of investigation by the National Disciplinary Committee”.
