Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja has issued a restraining order preventing the National Executive Committee (NEC) and Board of Trustees (BoT) of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) from removing Umar Damagum from his position as Acting National Chairman.
In a ruling delivered today, October 11, the court stated that until the PDP’s national convention scheduled for December next year, Damagum remains the only recognized national chairman of the party.
This order came in response to a suit filed by Senator Umar El-Gash Maina against the PDP NEC, BoT, and others. Justice Lifu cited Articles 42, 47, and 67 of the PDP Constitution, which stipulate that national officers can only be elected at the national convention.
The judge emphasized the importance of adhering to the party’s constitution and its provisions. Maina, who claims to be the PDP chairman in Yobe State, alleged that certain party stakeholders have been secretly meeting to plot Damagum’s removal in violation of party rules. He further claimed that Phillip Salawu, a former deputy governor of Kogi State, was being considered as a replacement.
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After discovering the alleged plan, Maina sent two letters of complaint to the party’s national secretary, Samuel Anyanwu. Although the national secretary acknowledged receipt of the letters, no action was taken by him or the BoT members to address the issues raised.
Represented by Senior Advocate of Nigeria Joshua Musa, Maina sought the court’s intervention to enforce Articles 45, 47, and 67 of the PDP Constitution, arguing against the efforts to replace Damagum. He requested a court declaration affirming that the national chairmanship of the PDP should rotate between the northern and southern regions, rather than through any procedures not outlined in the party’s Constitution.
In his judgment, Justice Lifu reviewed the PDP Constitution and related documents, concluding that Damagum can only be replaced during the national convention or through a court order. He stated that any attempt to disrupt the ongoing four-year tenure of the northern region without a national convention would be a violation of the PDP Constitution.
