Court stops PDP from unseating Damagum as national chairman

AFEDAL High Court, Abuja has issued a restraining order on the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) from appointing or nominating any person to replace its Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, pending the determination of a suit brought before it.

Justice Peter Lifu gave the order after taking arguments from the plaintiffs, Umar Maina and Zanna Gaddama.

The suit marked FHC/ ABJ/ CS/ 579/ 2024, which was brought before the court by the plaintiffs has PDP, its National Working Committee ( NWC), National Executive Committee ( NEC) Board of Trustees ( BOT) and the Independent National Electoral Commission as 1st to 5th defendants.

The plaintiffs’ lawyers, led by M. O. Onyilokwu, had prayed the court in a motion ex- parte, to issue “an order of interim injunction restraining the 1st to 4th defendants/ respondents, their agents, privies, by whatsoever name from appointing, selecting or nominating any person to replace Damagun as National Chairman or Acting National Chairman of the 1st defendant/ respondent pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.”

Recall that about 60 members of the House of Representatives elected on the platform of the PDP, had on April 8, demanded the Damagum’s resignation.

The group, led by the lawmaker representing Ideato North/ Ideato South Federal Constituency of Imo State,

Ikenga Ugochinyere, accused Damagum, who is an ally of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, of working in favour of the All Progressives Congress. Also, members of the party from the North- Central zone demanded Damagum’s removal, insisting that the position ought to be zoned to them to enable their region to complete the tenure of Iyorchia Ayu, who was suspended as National Chairman of the party last year.