Abuja, Oct. 11, 2024 (TheGavel) — The Federal High Court in Abuja has issued a restraining order preventing the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from removing Mr. Umar Damagum from his position as acting national chairman.
The judgment was delivered on Friday by Justice Peter Lifu during a virtual proceeding that was monitored by newsmen in Abuja. Justice Lifu directed the PDP National Executive Committee (NEC) and the Board of Trustees (BoT) to refrain from recognizing any individual as the party’s national chairman until the national convention scheduled for December 2025.
In his ruling, Justice Lifu emphasized that according to Articles 42, 47, and 67 of the PDP Constitution, national officers can only be elected at the national convention. He stated that all PDP members are bound by the party’s constitution and must act in compliance with its provisions.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/579/2024, was filed by Joshua Musa, SAN, on behalf of Senator Umar Maina. The plaintiff, claiming to be the chairman of the PDP in Yobe State, brought the action against the PDP and eight other defendants. He alleged that certain stakeholders within the party were secretly convening meetings to forcibly remove Damagum from office, in violation of the party’s constitution.
Maina asserted that a former Deputy Governor of Kogi State, Dr. Phillip Salawu, was being positioned as a replacement for Damagum by these stakeholders. Upon learning of the alleged plan, Maina reported that he had submitted two letters to the party’s national secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, expressing his concerns about the clandestine meetings. Despite the letters being acknowledged, he claimed that the national secretary and BoT members failed to take any action regarding the complaints.
The plaintiff sought the court’s intervention to enforce Articles 45, 47, and 67 of the PDP Constitution to halt the attempts to replace Damagum as acting national chairman. He specifically requested a declaration that the national chairmanship of the PDP is to be rotated between the northern and southern regions, and cannot be changed through procedures not enshrined in the party’s constitution.
In his judgment, Justice Lifu agreed with the plaintiff’s assertions, stating that Damagum can only be replaced at the PDP’s national convention or through a court order. He further affirmed that any attempt to disrupt the remaining four years of tenure for the northern region without the national convention would be an affront to the PDP’s constitution.
This ruling underscores the court’s commitment to upholding the constitutional integrity of political parties in Nigeria and ensuring adherence to democratic processes within their structures.(NAN)
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