A Federal High Court in Abuja has restrained the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from removing Umar Illiya Damagum as its national chairman.
In an order granted the presiding judge, P.O Lifu, on May 3, 2024, the court restrained the PDP National Working Committee (NWC), the National Executive Council (NEC) and the Board of Trustees (BoT) from appointing, selecting, and nominating any person to replace Damagum as national chairman or acting national chairman pending the hearing and determination of the motion on Notice already filed which is herein fixed against the 14th of May, 2024.
“The Defendants/Respondents are hereby restrained in the interim, from appointing, selecting, nominating any person to replace Amb. Umar Illiya Damagum as National Chairman or Acting National Chairman of the 1st Defendant/Respondent pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice already filed which is herein fixed against the 14th of May, 2024,” the judge ordered.
“The Defendants/Respondents by themselves, agents, privies or by any proxy, are hereby in the interim, restrained from according recognition to any person other than Amb. Umar Illiya Damagum as Acting National Chairman of the 1st Defendants/ Respondents or giving effect to or acting upon any document purporting to be signed by the National Chairman or Acting National Chairman of the 1st Defendant without the name and signature of Amb. Umar Illiya Damagum, pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice already filed in Court in the instant suit,” he added.
The suit, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/579/2024, was brought before the court by Umar Maina and Zanna Gaddama.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was also named as respondent in the suit.
On April 8, about 60 members of the House of Representatives elected under the PDP banner called for the resignation of Damagum from his role as the acting national chairman of the party.
Led by Ikenga Ugochinyere, the representative of Ideato North/Ideato South Federal Constituency, Imo State, the group accused Damagum, an ally of Nyesom Wike, the former Rivers State governor and minister of the Federal Capital Territory, of displaying bias in favor of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Similarly, PDP members from the North-central zone demanded Damagum’s removal, asserting that the position should be allocated to their region to complete the tenure of Iyorchia Ayu, who was suspended as national chairman of the party last year.
Despite these protests, the PDP’s National Caucus extended Damagum’s tenure on April 18. Also, the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) expressed confidence in his leadership, reaffirming his position.
