PDP crisis: Why govs nullified suspensions, ordered return to status quo

In clear terms, they nullified the suspension and counter-suspensions issued by feuding factions of the party’s National Working Committee, NWC, last week, and asked the warring acting chairmen to return to status quo until a permanent solution was found to the feud..

Chairman of PDP Governors’ Forum, who is also the governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, announced this at the end of a two-day meeting, yesterday.

Trouble started after the Amb. Umar Damagum-led NWC suspended the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba and National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade SAN, for alleged abuse of office and insurbordination.

In response, Ologunagba and Ajibade announced the suspension of Damagum and the party’s National Secretary, Senator Samual Anyanwu, over alleged anti-party activities and their role in the political crisis in Rivers State between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and FCT Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike.

The crisis got to a head when the Ologunagba group announced the party’s National Treasurer, Yayari Mohammed, as Damagum’s replacement.

However, the Chairman of the PDP-GF, Governor Bala Mohammed, while addressing newsmen in Abuja explained that the decision to broker a truce; was reached after the PDP-GF consulted with representatives of the NWC, the party’s National Assembly Caucus, and the Board of Trustees, BoT.

He said: “I want to inform you on behalf of the PDP Governors Forum, Chairman of the Senate Caucus, and the representative of the BoT. We had a family meeting, and we wish to reaffirm that there is no faction in the PDP.

“All the suspensions you heard about have been resolved by the Governors, the NWC, the Caucus of the National Assembly, and the BoT.

“There is no faction; everything has reverted to the status quo under acting Chairman Damagum, pending the time the governors and other organs of the party will sit down and resolve all the issues.

“There is no party that does not have problems. Some of them are legal, and we do not want to preempt the outcome of legal procedures.

In response to a question as to whether the October 24 scheduled date for the National Executive Council, NEC, meeting remained sacrosanct, Governor Mohammed said: “The governors, BoT, and NWC will sit down and discuss the sanctity of the October 24 NEC meeting.”

Speaking to reporters at the Departure Lounge of the private wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport after the second leg of the meeting, Damagum welcomed the development.

Damagum said: “There is no crisis in the party as far as I am concerned but some people want to take advantage of the situation. I urge the press not to escalate things even where there is no crisis.

“As far as I am concerned, the governors are our leaders and critical organs of this party, and when they speak, we must look at it holistically and also abide by it.”

Asked for comments about his colleagues, the National Public Secretary, Hon. Debo Ologunagba and National Legal Adviser, Kaamaldeen Ajibade SAN, Damagum said,

“Have they left? They are still in the party.”

Efforts to get Yayari Mohammed and Ologunagba to speak on the development were yet to bear fruits at press time.