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Wike’s Loyalists in PDP Suspend Acting Chairman Damagum, Spokesman Ologunagba, Others

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7 hours ago

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Cyril Ogar

The Peoples Democratic Party has plunged deeper into crisis as fresh divisions emerged within its leadership, with a faction backed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, announcing the suspension of the Acting National Chairman, Umar  Damagum, and five other members of the National Working Committee.

Briefing newsmen in Abuja on Saturday on behalf of the factional NWC, the PDP National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, announced the party’s National Vice Chairman (North Central), Mohammed Abdulrahman, as the Acting National Chairman.

He stated, “First of all, we want to commend the judiciary over the judgment of yesterday, which is a victory for the entire PDP members all over. Nobody can claim victory over the judgment of the court. It is a judgment against impunity, against illegality. We promote unity, peace, and cohesion in the party.

“Having said that, the party did not overlook the activities of some members of the NWC who have already decided to cause disaffection in the party, which has made most of our leaders and governors leave the party in droves. I would say that this is the time to arrest such a situation and call it to order.

“On this note, after the emergency meeting, we decided, as a party, to suspend Ambassador Damagum, the National Chairman of the party, for incompetence, misappropriation of party funds, and flagrant disobedience of court judgments. We decided that we should suspend him for one month, and we will send him to the Disciplinary Committee for him to be able to answer questions.

“Secondly, we have overwhelming evidence against the National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba. We have seen the frequent press releases by the National Publicity Secretary which was confirmed that even at a point, the then National Vice Chairman suspended him for appearing or defending the party because of the unapproved frequent press releases. For us to have sanity in the party, we have suspended him.”

Anyanwu also announced the suspension of the National Deputy Chairman (South), Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja, accusing him of failing to properly advise Damagum against engaging in anti-party activities and reckless behavior.

He continued, “On that note, he is also suspended for 30 days. Now, we talk about the National Financial Secretary, Daniel Woyenguikoro. We have discovered that in the last few days and months, there have been congresses and sales of forms meant for our congresses, which were bought and paid into two different accounts controlled by the National Financial Secretary. So, on this note, he has been suspended, and we are sending him to the Disciplinary Committee. We are also going to involve the financial agencies to look into those activities.

“Again, the Youth Leader, Sulaiman Kadade, PDP Youth all over, if you watched yesterday, the youth leaders all over the country met and said that they don’t want Mohammed Kandede to be their youth leader again because he has never activated the youth wing of our party, and that wing has been abandoned. For that reason, he has also been suspended for one month.

“Finally, the Deputy National Secretary, Setonji Koshoedo who is supposed to be my deputy, is also suspended for one month. He resumed the office of the National Secretary illegally, signed all kinds of letters, especially to some states, where he has caused disaffection among our party members in those states. For that reason, he has also been suspended for 30 days.

“All of them are sent to the Disciplinary Committee to show cause why they should not be expelled from the party. The judgment of yesterday confirmed the reason why this suspension should be effective. In their place, especially the National Chairman, we are asking the National Vice Chairman (North-Central), Mohammed Abdulrahman to act as National Chairman. In the place of the National Publicity Secretary, we are going to ask the Director of Publicity of our party, Chinwen Nnorom, to take over all the activities of the party in terms of information.”

According to Anyanwu, ten members of the NWC were in attendance.

Earlier, the NWC under Damagum’s leadership announced the suspension of Senator Anyanwu, National Legal Adviser Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN), and two other members.

Despite the scheduled National Elective Convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ibadan, Oyo State, on November 15 and 16, internal strife continues to grip the party.

Supporters of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, remain dissatisfied with the leadership of the Acting National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Iliya Damagum.

Their grievances revolve around unresolved disputes concerning the South-South zonal leadership and control of party structures in Cross River, Akwa Ibom, and Plateau States. In addition, disagreements over the micro-zoning arrangement ahead of the convention have further deepened divisions within the PDP.

These ongoing conflicts eventually escalated into a legal confrontation aimed at halting the planned convention. On Friday, the Federal High Court in Abuja granted an interim injunction restraining the PDP from proceeding with the convention until further notice.

In case number FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/2025, presided over by Justice James Omotosho, the court ruled that the PDP must suspend its convention pending full compliance with its own constitution, the 1999 Constitution, and the Electoral Act of 2022.

The case was filed by three aggrieved PDP members Austin Nwachukwu, the Imo State PDP Chairman; Amah Abraham Nnanna, the Abia State PDP Chairman; and Turnah Alabh George, the PDP Secretary for the South-South zone.

They argued that the planned convention violated both the Electoral Act and the party’s internal regulations, citing the PDP’s failure to conduct valid congresses in 14 states before issuing the convention notice.

Justice Omotosho upheld their arguments, ruling that the PDP had indeed breached its constitution, the 1999 Constitution, and INEC’s guidelines by neglecting to conduct proper state congresses and failing to provide the mandatory 21-day notice to INEC. 

Consequently, the court ordered the suspension of the planned convention until all internal irregularities are corrected in accordance with the law.

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Adamawa APC Showcases Tinubu’s Two-Year Achievements, Applauds Ribadu’s Role as Stakeholders’ Meeting Kicks Off in Yola

Published

3 weeks ago

on

October 10, 2025

By

Joel Ajayi

Stakeholders of the ruling APC in Adamawa State have identified the achievements of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the last two years since assuming the Nigerian presidency, describing such achievements as monumental and unprecedented.

The stakeholders also commended Mr. President for appointing one of their sons, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu as National Security Adviser, an appointment they emphasize has been justified by current results.

In a one-day grassroots engagement and sensitization meeting organized by APC lawmakers in the State Assembly, which was attended by various stakeholders of the Party from across the State and beyond, Monday, in Yola, speakers at the event posited that no Nigerian leader since Independence had in so short a time taken the various bold steps President Tinubu has undertaken in the last two years of his emergence as President.

Speaking as keynote speaker at the well-attended event, Director General of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps,Rt.Hon.Yusuf Buba Yakub identified such projects as the construction of the 750-kilometre super highways from Calabar to Lagos and another one from Sokoto to Badagry in Lagos, as well as the one from Akwanga to Gombe and Yola and the one from Calabar to Abuja, including the Southeastern corridor railway lines,as monumental projects that are aimed at opening up the Nigerian hinterland for greater accessibility and overall development.

All of these, the Adamawa-born former federal lawmaker and leader said would not have been possible had the President from the first day of taking the oath of office not removed the hydra-headed fuel subsidy and floated the nation’s currency to bridge the yawning gap between the subsisting highly manipulated black and official foreign exchange markets.

“President Tinubu during his swearing-in ceremony took a bold step that no Nigerian leader in the past forty years in the history of our dear country was able to take. He removed the fuel subsidy before even taking over office!

“That move has turned around the fortunes of Nigeria such that today we can proudly beat our chests to say that we have become an exporter of finished petroleum products. In the past, despite our abundant crude oil we were busy importing petrol, which was very disgraceful.”

Buba, who commended President Tinubu for the two major decisions of removing the fuel subsidy and floating the Naira, against subsidizing the US Dollar as was the case in the past, said the decisions have saved Nigeria trillions of Naira. He recalled that during the 9th National Assembly one-third of the national fiscal budget for a particular year was completely eaten up by fuel subsidy claims.

“These decisions which have increased revenue earnings in our States in the last two years are the reasons you see today in serious States of the Federation the kind of monumental development taking place all over the place.”

Buba also commended President Tinubu for appointing one of their own as the National Security Adviser. He said Mallam Nuhu Ribadu’s appointment, which was hailed across the globe as placing a square peg in a square hole at a time Nigeria was almost becoming ungovernable owing largely to the unfortunate activities of insurgent groups, was a masterstroke by Mr. President that has convinced all doubting Thomases as to the genuine intentions of Mr. President.

While chronicling other achievements of President Tinubu in the first two years of his Presidency, including the efforts at repositioning Nigeria in the global community through the TAC Scheme and the grand diplomatic engagements of the Foreign Affairs’ Ministry, his many social intervention programmes for the poor, investment in technical and vocational training as well as scholarships for students and many other highly commendable good governance initiatives, the NTAC DG concluded that Nigeria has never had it so good. He called on the people to brace up for the return of Mr. President for a second term in office.

Also speaking at the event, the National Vice Chairman of the APC in the Northeast Zone, Comrade Barrister Salisu Mustapha drew comparison of the state of insecurity in the land before the coming of President Tinubu and the present moment. While thanking the people for their support for answering the call to duty ,which gave them victory at a recently conducted bye election in the State, he said the message must be carried far and near that the Party was prepared to reclaim victory in the State in 2027.He acknowledged the significance of such a gathering initiated by members of the Party in the State Assembly.

He thanked other members of the Party from the neighbouring States of Taraba and Gombe and also solicited commitment from the Party stalwarts in Adamawa towards ensuring that such a gathering be replicated at the Ward level of the entire State.

Among those who attended the event were some members of the National Executive Committee of the APC from the Northeast Zone, the Adamawa State Chairman of the Party, Barr. Idris and members of the State Working Committee, Local Government as well as the Ward Executive Committee members of the Party and various stakeholders.

The event concluded with the endorsement of Mr. President and other leaders of the Party for onward movement to the next level.

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