PDP Crisis: NWC May Sanction Leadership Over Rivers Crisis

Indications emerged yesterday that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Working Committee (NWC) may sanction the party’s acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, and National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, over an alleged correspondence to the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt division, regarding the Rivers State political crisis.

According to sources, some PDP members, including National Executive Committee (NEC) members, are pushing for sanctions against Damagum and Anyanwu for allegedly writing a letter to the Court of Appeal, asking it to disregard a letter from the PDP National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade, announcing the withdrawal of the opposition party in a suit involving 25 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly who defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) last December.

The letter, dated August 15, 2024, has gone viral and is seen as an anti-party activity, pitting Governor Siminalayi Fubara against his predecessor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike. The 17-member NWC is currently divided into pro-Fubara and pro-Wike camps.

Damagum and Anyanwu’s alleged letter has sparked outrage among party leaders, with many demanding their resignation or sanction under Sections 58 and 59 of the PDP constitution, which borders on discipline for anti-party activities.

The issue is expected to be discussed at the PDP NEC meeting tomorrow in Abuja, where the fate of the duo will be decided. A member of the PDP NEC, Kola Ologbondiyan, described the issue as embarrassing and confirmed that party leaders are consulting over the matter.

Notably, repeated efforts to speak with Damagum were unsuccessful, while Anyanwu declined to comment on the issue. The development has further deepened the crisis within the PDP, with many members calling for decisive action to address the situation.

Read Also: Court of Appeal Overturns Ban on PDP Chieftains, Upholds Party’s Autonomy

It is worth noting that the Court of Appeal in Abuja had earlier overturned the ban on three prominent chieftains of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) from attending the party’s National Executive Committee meetings. The decision nullified the orders of the Federal High Court, which had barred former PDP National Chairman Uche Secondus, former Rivers State Governor Celestine Omehia, and former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Austin Opara from participating in the meetings.

It bears mentioning that the court’s decision upheld the autonomy of political parties in managing their internal affairs, ruling that the trial court had overstepped its bounds by interfering in the PDP’s decision on who attends its meetings. The court held that the decision on attendance is an internal matter for the party, and not for the court to decide.

As the PDP moves forward, it remains to be seen how much drama is left to be unfurled.