From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja

The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) assumed a new dimension, yesterday, as the National Working (NWC) split into two functions.

The split is traceable to the political crisis in the Rivers State, where the state governor, Siminalayi Fubara and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike have been on opposing sides.

Members of the NWC have been polarised over the political crisis in Rivers, in the past few weeks, after the acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum and National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, reportedly wrote a letter to the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt Division, overriding the position of the National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade, on the case involving 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, who defected from the party last year.

Tension heightened in the opposition party on Friday, with members of the NWC breaking into two factions, issuing notices of suspension and counter-suspension.

The two NWC factions, in two separate statements issued in the early hours of Friday, announced the suspension of the acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, the National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, National Publicity Secretary, Debo Olugunagba and National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade for alleged anti-party activities.

In the first statement, signed by the Director of Publicity, Chinwe Nnorom, indicated that the NWC, at its 593rd meeting, on Thursday, directed Ologunagba and Ajibade to step aside, over alleged insubordination and disloyalty, pending the conclusion of an investigation of the allegations against them.

According to her, the PDP Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Abdullahi Ibrahim  and the Deputy National Legal Adviser, Okechukwu Osuha, were  appointed to step into the role of the National Publicity Secretary and National Legal Adviser respectively, in acting capacity.

Nnorom added that a four man committee headed by the PDP National Chairman (South) Taofeek Arapaja, National Treasurer, Yayari Ahmed Mohammed, has been set up to investigate Ologunagba and Kamaldeen and report back within two weeks.

However, in a twist shortly after, Ologunagba, in another statement, announced the suspension of Damagum and Anyanwu for alleged anti-party activities.  According to him, “the NWC of the PDP has extensively considered the series of complaints raised against the Acting National Chairman, Amb. Illiya Damagum and National Secretary, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu particularly with regard to the letter addressed by them to the Court of Appeal in Appeal No:CA/PH/307/2024 against the Party’s position in the case involving the 27 former members of the Rivers State House of Assembly who vacated their seats upon decamping from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

“The NWC condemned this anti-party activity of the Acting National Chairman and the National Secretary which is in gross violation of the provisions of the PDP Constitution (as amended in 2017) and their Oath of Office.

“Consequently, the NWC, pursuant to Sections 57, 58 and 59 of the PDP Constitution, has suspended Amb. Illiya Damagum and Sen. Samuel Anyanwu as Acting National Chairman and National Secretary of the Party respectively and referred them to the National Disciplinary Committee for further action.”

The PDP National Publicity Secretary, in another statement, said the NWC has also appointed the National Treasurer, Yayari Ahmed Mohammed, as a replacement for Damagum. Ironically, Mohammed was named by the Damagum as part of the four-man panel to probe Ologunagba and Ajibade.

Regardless, a member of the PDP National Reconciliation Committee, Eddy Olafeso, told Saturday Sun, that present development will lead to a permanent solution to the problems in the opposition party.

Olafeso said: “They said it is darkest when it is about dawn. All this will lead to a final and more permanent solution to the problems plaguing our party.  It has compounded our work at the reconciliation committee. But rest assured that we are on it. “

Ologunagba, in an interview with Saturday Sun, dismissed his suspension as a nullity, stating that the person who authored the statement is not a member of the PDP NWC and lacks the power to speak for the party organ.

According to him, the position of the NWC is the ouster of Damagum as acting chairman and subsequent replacement by Mohammed.

He said: “Number one, the person who signed that is unknown to the NWC. And you will notice that that document was hurriedly put together.  The document said ‘following the NWC decision. I don’t know what that means. It directed their respective deputies to assume office in acting capacity with effect from Friday October 11, 2014. Check the statement. That tells that is a fraudulently put together document.

“The person, who purportedly signed it, one Chinwe is not a member of the NWC and has no reason to communicate from the NWC.  What is from the NWC, arising from the National Publicity Secretary, which is me, is the suspension of Damagum and Anyanwu.”

But Abdullahi, while speaking at a press briefing later in the day, said the National Publicity Secretary was suspended for issuing a statement asking party members in Rivers State to participate in the last local government election, against the position of the party.

He said: “A decision was taken by the party against the instructions given by my erstwhile colleague not to take part in the local government elections in Rivers State. It was a collective decision. It has happened in Kebbi. It has happened in Katsina.

“When there are issues like the ones in Rivers, the NWC has the power to say on account of the request of members of that state, let us suspend this election or let’s not take part in the election. And that is rational and informed, depending on how you choose to look at it.

“But an individual went and authored a contrary statement that we should take part in the election. And the party felt that was not in the collective interest of the party for counter positions to be given.”

Abdullahi, while responding to question on the replacement of Damagum as Acting National Chairman, stated that “Nobody will just wake up on the wrong side of their bed and begin to churn out writings and expect enlightened members of the public to take it hook line and sinker. We are guided by rules of engagement.

“When Ms Chinwe was speaking, she said at the 593 session, the NWC sat in a formal quorum suspending the duo. I wouldn’t know at what sitting, with what quorum, who are the dignitaries that that have come with that sort of narrative?”

Meanwhile, the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT), in a statement by its chairman, Adolphus Wabara, called on the warring members of the NWC to sheathe their sword in the overall interest of the party.

“The BoT calls on all sides of the NWC to sheathe their swords and de-escalate the tension. The warring persons must, in the overall interest of the party, revert to the status quo to preserve the unity and stability of our great party.

“We understand that disagreements may arise, but as a party with a long-standing tradition of internal democracy, we must not let these challenges derail our collective vision. The Board of Trustees will meet with the members of the NWC to intervene, foster reconciliation, and ensure that normalcy is restored in the NWC of our great party.

“We call on all party faithful and supporters to remain calm during this period. The PDP has an effective conflict resolution mechanism, and we are confident that the current issues will be addressed and resolved in a manner that strengthens the party, “ Wabara stated.