PDP Crisis Deepens: Anyanwu-Led Faction Suspends Damagum, Five Others Over Alleged Incompetence

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The internal crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took a fresh twist on Friday as a faction of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) led by Senator Samuel Anyanwu announced the suspension of the party’s National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Iliya Damagum, for alleged incompetence.

Speaking to journalists shortly after an emergency meeting held in Abuja, Senator Anyanwu said the decision was reached after a review of the current leadership’s performance and alleged failure to provide direction for the opposition party. According to him, Damagum’s suspension will last for 30 days, pending the outcome of a disciplinary review.

In the same breath, the faction also announced the suspension of the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Debo Ologunagba; the Deputy National Chairman (South), Alhaji Taofeek Arapaja; the National Financial Secretary; the National Youth Leader; and the Deputy National Secretary. Each of them, the statement said, was suspended for 30 days and directed to appear before the party’s Disciplinary Committee for further investigation.

Senator Anyanwu explained that the decision became necessary to restore sanity and discipline within the PDP, accusing the suspended officials of dereliction of duty and poor performance that had, in his words, “weakened the strength and public image of the party.”

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He declared that the National Vice Chairman (North Central), Alhaji Abdulrahman Mohammed, had been appointed as the Acting National Chairman of the PDP. In addition, the Director of Publicity, Mrs. Chinwe Nnorom, would serve as Acting National Publicity Secretary pending further decisions by the disciplinary body.

According to the statement read to journalists, the Anyanwu-led faction resolved to “take immediate corrective actions” to salvage the PDP from “drifting into irrelevance” ahead of future elections. The group maintained that its decisions were in line with the party’s constitution and aimed at strengthening internal democracy and accountability.

“The PDP cannot afford to continue under a leadership that has failed to uphold its founding principles and ensure effective opposition. The present state of affairs calls for urgent intervention to prevent total collapse,” Senator Anyanwu stated.

The move by the Anyanwu faction is widely seen as a direct response to the earlier suspension of Senator Anyanwu himself as the party’s National Secretary by the Damagum-led NWC. He, along with three others, had been accused of engaging in anti-party activities, a charge he dismissed as politically motivated.

Observers believe the ongoing power tussle reflects deeper divisions within the PDP hierarchy, especially in the aftermath of the 2023 general elections, where the party performed below expectations. The rivalry between the Damagum camp and the Anyanwu group has reportedly intensified over control of the party’s leadership and strategic direction ahead of upcoming off-cycle elections.

Political analysts note that the latest round of suspensions could further complicate the PDP’s efforts to reposition itself as a viable opposition to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). While the Damagum-led leadership is yet to officially respond to the new suspensions, sources within the party suggest that it might soon convene an emergency meeting to address what it considers an “illegal and unconstitutional” action by the Anyanwu faction.

For now, the PDP remains deeply divided, with parallel leadership structures issuing conflicting directives. As both camps continue to claim legitimacy, party faithful and stakeholders across the country are calling for urgent reconciliation efforts to prevent a total breakdown of order within Nigeria’s main opposition party.

Whether the PDP can overcome this latest leadership crisis or will spiral further into factional fragmentation remains to be seen, but what is clear is that the battle for control of the party’s national secretariat is far from over.