PDP BoT Defies Damagum, Insists on June 30 NEC Meeting Amid Deepening Party Crisis
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is once again teetering on the brink of crisis as its Board of Trustees (BoT) and National Ex-Officio Forum have openly defied Acting National Chairman Umar Damagum’s controversial moves to cancel the party’s crucial 100th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting slated for June 30.
In an unprecedented rebuke, BoT Chairman Senator Adolphus Wabara described Damagum’s unilateral decision to scrap the NEC meeting and reinstate Senator Samuel Anyanwu as National Secretary as a gross violation of the PDP Constitution and an act of impunity threatening the party’s unity.
“These pronouncements by the Acting National Chairman are null, void, and of no effect. The NEC is the highest decision-making organ of the party, second only to the National Convention,” Wabara declared in a strongly worded statement.
The crisis erupted when Damagum, citing support from unnamed leaders, announced the cancellation of the NEC meeting scheduled during the party’s 99th NEC session and declared Anyanwu reinstated despite ongoing disputes over his legitimacy. Damagum’s position has since been rejected by 11 out of 19 National Working Committee (NWC) members, who insist the NEC must meet as resolved.
The BoT emphasized that the resolution to hold the June 30 NEC was taken at the 99th NEC meeting and remains binding. Wabara accused Damagum of overstepping his authority and warned that ignoring NEC decisions could plunge the party into further chaos.
Adding fuel to the fire, the PDP National Ex-Officio Forum also condemned Damagum’s actions, describing his June 25 press statement as an embarrassing betrayal of NEC resolutions. They reaffirmed support for the majority decision of the NWC and insisted Setonji Koshoedo remains the Acting National Secretary until the NEC formally decides otherwise.
The dispute over the National Secretary position has become a lightning rod for internal divisions. While the PDP appointed Koshoedo to steady the party’s leadership, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has continued to recognize Anyanwu, complicating the party’s legal standing ahead of the NEC.
This crisis underscores the PDP’s lingering inability to resolve factional power struggles since losing the presidency in 2015, despite repeated promises of internal reforms.
Party insiders warn the ongoing turmoil could derail efforts to rebuild ahead of upcoming by-elections and future national polls.
As the June 30 NEC date looms, uncertainty hangs over Nigeria’s main opposition party: will it emerge with a unified front or slide deeper into infighting that could cost it politically for years to come?
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PDP BoT Defies Damagum, Insists on June 30 NEC Meeting Amid Deepening Party Crisis