The Peoples Democratic Party Governors Forum (PDP-GF) has directed conflicting party members to return to their previous positions.
The chairman of the forum and governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, announced following the governors’ meeting that concluded in the early morning of Tuesday.
Mohammed mentioned that as a political organization, the PDP was expected to face disagreements among its members, but he assured that these issues could be addressed and overcome.
“There is no crisis. The Governors, BoT, the National Assembly caucus have agreed that the NWC should revert to status quo,”.
He said all the suspensions have been nullified.
The Genesis Of The PDP Crisis
Bellnews understands that the nation’s main opposition party has been battling an internal crisis at the national level following its presidential primary election before the 2023 general election.
Due to the development, some stakeholders worked against the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, who eventually lost the race to the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Amid struggles to reconcile aggrieved party chieftains ahead of the 2027 general elections, some party stakeholders called for the sacking of the incumbent PDP national chairman, Umar Damagum.
Suspensions
The situation within the opposition party deteriorated last Friday as the national leadership of the PDP divided into two factions, led by Yayari Mohammed and Umar Damagum, respectively.
Bellnews reports that this division occurred after the Damagum faction suspended the party’s National Legal Adviser, Adeyemi Ajibade, and National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, during the 593rd meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC).
In light of the leadership crisis, Abdullahi and Okechukwu Osuoha were appointed to serve as acting replacements for the suspended officials.
The conflict escalated further when Ologunagba declared the suspension of Damagum and National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu, referencing various complaints lodged against them.
Adding to the complexity, a Federal High Court in Abuja issued a ruling on the same day, preventing the National Executive Committee (NEC) and the Board of Trustees from dismissing Damagum as the acting national chairman.
Justice Peter Lifu delivered the ruling via Zoom, stipulating that only Damagum should be acknowledged as the PDP’s acting national chairman until the party’s convention set for December 2025.
Status Quo Remains For Now
However, Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, while addressing journalists on Tuesday morning before jetting out to Ondo for a “crucial assignment”, confirmed that the party leadership had nullified the suspension of the acting National Chairman of the party, Umar Illiya Damagum.
He also confirmed that the party has nullified the suspension of the National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba and National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade, SAN.
Bala who was in the company of Damagum and other PDP stakeholders, said the status quo remains for now.