A former governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has congratulated the factional chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mohammed Abdulrahman, who was appointed in acting capacity by a group of party members loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
Mr Fayose, a close ally of Mr Wike, congratulated Mr Abdulrahman in a statement on Saturday.
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The former governor urged the factional chairman to use his office to restore peace and confidence among members of the opposition party.
“I congratulate the new chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Mohammed Abdulrahman. I urge him to unite the party and restore confidence in its members,” he said.
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Crisis deepens in PDP
The crisis within the PDP took another turn on Saturday evening when a faction comprising allies of Mr Wike announced the suspension of the party’s National Chairman, Umar Damagum.
The faction was led by Samuel Anyanwu, the embattled national secretary, who had earlier been suspended by the PDP’s National Working Committee (NWC) after an emergency meeting
A few hours after his suspension, Mr Anyanwu organised a press briefing where he announced the suspension of Mr Damagum and five other NWC members for 30 days.
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He also directed them to appear before the party’s disciplinary committee to defend themselves.
Mr Anyanwu specifically accused the national chairman of incompetence, financial misconduct, and disregard for court orders.
During the briefing, he announced that Mr Abdulrahman, the PDP National Vice Chairman (North Central), would take over as acting national chairman of the party.
As of when this report was filed, Mr Damagum and other suspended NWC members had yet to respond to the development. The PDP Governors Forum and the Board of Trustees (BoT) have also not commented on the issue.
What prompted the faction
Since the 2023 general elections, the PDP has been engulfed in a series of internal disputes, with the party now split into two major factions, with one faction loyal to the FCT minister.
Mr Wike, though a member of the PDP, serves as a minister in the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration of President Bola Tinubu, which some have described as anti-party activity.
The emergence of the factional leadership originated from disagreements over the PDP’s forthcoming national convention scheduled for 15 and 16 November. The convention is expected to produce new national leaders and potentially set the tone for the selection of the party’s 2027 presidential candidate.
The Wike-led faction opposes holding the convention, arguing that the party failed to conduct valid state congresses, a requirement under the PDP Constitution before convening a national convention.
This dispute led to a court case in which James Omotosho, a judge of the Federal High Court, Abuja, ordered the PDP to halt the planned convention. The judge said proceeding without valid state congresses would violate the Nigerian Constitution, INEC guidelines, and the PDP Constitution.
Mr Omotosho, therefore, directed the party to meet all prerequisites and issue the statutory 21-day notice before proceeding with the convention.
Despite the ruling, the PDP leadership said it had directed its legal team to immediately appeal the judgment.
After the news of the court order went viral, Mr Wike convened a meeting of PDP stakeholders and former governors loyal to him, where he celebrated the ruling. Mr Anyanwu attended the meeting.
In response, the NWC held an emergency meeting and suspended Mr Anyanwu as national secretary, along with Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN), the national legal adviser; Okechukwu Osuoha, deputy national legal adviser; and Umaru Bature, national organising secretary.
Although the party’s spokesperson who announced the suspension did not specify the offences committed by the suspended officials, the action is generally believed to be connected to alleged anti-party activities.
Mr Anyanwu, in retaliation, later led his faction to announce the suspension of Mr Damagum and five other NWC members.
Fayose calls for reconciliation and justice
In his congratulatory message, Mr Fayose urged the factional chairman to address the injustices allegedly committed against state chapters of the party and to ensure compliance with court rulings.
“Most importantly, he should look into the shenanigans and injustice done in states like Ekiti and others with a view to correcting them in accordance with the party constitution and existing court pronouncements,” he said.
He also advised the factional chairman to work with all stakeholders to organise a credible national convention.
“He should also be a team player and ensure the emergence of a new National Working Committee through a valid National Convention, which should be done immediately after outstanding congresses are held in states and zones, and those done against court judgements are revisited,” Mr Fayose said.
Although the former governor did not specify the injustices he referred to, his comments may not be unconnected with PDP’s alleged failure to conduct valid state congresses before convening the planned national convention.
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