*Names Abdulrahaman Mohammed as acting National Chairman
By Folorunso Alagbede, Abuja
Few hours after the National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Samuel Anyanwu and three others were suspended by the National Working Committee, NWC, of the party, another faction of the NWC, in a counter move, has suspended the party’s National Chairman, Ambassador Ilya Damagum and five other national officers.
The factional NWC of the PDP, which is believed to be loyal to the Minister of Federal Capital Territory FCT, Mr Nyesom Wike, after announcing the suspension of Damagum and five others for 30 days, swiftly named the PDP’s Vice Chairman (North Central), Mr Abdulrahman Mohammed as acting National Chairman of the party.
Others suspended along with Damagum, by the parallel NWC, after its emergency meeting held at the residence of Senator Anyanwu in Wuye District, Abuja, were;
Amb Taofeek Oladejo Arapaja (Deputy National Chairman, South), Hon Debo Ologunagba, (National Publicity Secretary), Hon Setonji Koshedo, Deputy National Secretary, Mr Mohammed Kadade, National Youth Leader and Mr Daniel Woyegikuro, National Financial Secretary.
Senator Anyanwu, who announced the suspension of Damagum and five others, said that the suspended officers have been referred to the party’s disciplinary committee for anti party activities.
While briefing journalists at the end of their parallel NWC meeting, Anyanwu said, “after our emergency meeting, we decided, as a party, to suspend Ambassador Ilya Damagum, the National Chairman of the party, for incompetence, misappropriation of party funds, and disobedience, flagrant disobedience of court judgments.
“For instance, the former National Vice-Chairman of the South-East, who has been expelled by the party, which was even confirmed by the judgment of yesterday (of Federal High Court, Abuja)
continued to hide under the National Vice-Chairman because of his personal interests, against the interests of the entire party in the country, to keep him as a member of NWC, which has nullified every meeting, both the National Working Committee meetings, which he was a part of.
“Court nullified those things, and this is an abuse of his office. So, on that note, we decided that we should suspend him for one month, and we will send him to the Discplinary Committee, for him to be able to answer questions, pending the time he is out of his suspension.
“Secondly, we have overwhelming evidences against the National Publicity Secretary. All of you are pressmen, we have seen the frequent press releases by the National Publicity Secretary, Honorable Debo Ologunagba, which was confirmed that even at the point, the then-National Vice-Chairman suspended him for appearing or defending the party because of frequent press releases. For us to have sanity in the party, we have suspended him.
“Thirdly, we have looked at Ambassador Arapaja, who also has been joined as the Deputy National Chairman South, who is supposed to have advised the National Chairman, on such anti-party activities, and reckless activities, which is unwarranted of a party chairman. On that note, he is also suspended for 30 days.
“Now, we talk about the National Financial Secretary. We have discovered that in the last few months, there have been congresses, sale of forms meant for our congresses, which were bought, having been paid in two different accounts, which was controlled by the National Financial Secretary. So on this note, he has been suspended, and we are sending him to the Disciplinary Committee, and we are also going to involve the financial agencies, to look into those activities.
“Again, the youth leader, the youth wing is a strong organ of this party. The youth all over, if you watched yesterday, the youth leaders all over the country met and said that they don’t want Mohamed Kandede to be their youth leader again, because he has never activated the youth wing of our party, and that wing has been abandoned and for that reason, he has also been suspended for one month.
“Finally, the Deputy National Secretary, who is supposed to be my deputy, is also suspended for one month. He resumed the office of the National Secretary illegal, signed all kinds of letters, especially to some states, where he has caused disaffection against our party, amongst our party members in those states. For that reason, he has also been suspended for 30 days.
“All of them are sent to the Disciplinary Committee to show cause why they should not be expelled from the party. “Having said that, ladies and gentlemen, the party is strong. We still believe in the party.
“We believe in the party, and strongly believe that the party, as a matter of fact, we are strong as a party. We are united.
“The judgment of yesterday (Friday) confirmed the reason why this suspension should be effective. In their place, especially the National Chairman, we are asking the National Vice-Chairman, North Central, to act as National Chairman.
“In the place of the National Public Secretary, we are going to ask the Director of Publicity of our party, Chinwe Nnorom, to take over all the activities of the party in terms of information”.
Anyanwu disclosed that the NWC meeting he convened was physically attended by seven NWC members, while two others joined visually.
Among those in attendance were; Anyanwu, Hon . Umar Bature, Chief Dan Orbih, Barrister Austin Nwachukwu, Mr Abdulrahman Mohammed,National Vice Chairman North Central and Chidiebere Egwu and George Turner, South South Secretary of the PDP.
It would be recalled that earlier in the day, the NWC of the party, led by Amb Umar Ilya Damagum had suspended the National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, National Organizing Secretary, Hon Umar Bature, National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN) and Deputy Legal Adviser, Okechukwu Osuoha for one month.
The suspension was came less than twenty-four hours after a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja apparently stopped the party’s planned national convention slated for Ibadan, the Oyo State.
The National Working Committee, NWC,
of the party wielded the big at its emergency meeting held on Saturday at the Legacy House headquarters of the PDP in Abuja.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Debo Ologunagba announced the suspension while addressing journalists in Abuja at the end of the NWC meeting.
Ologunagba said: “The NWC, in line with the party’s constitution, came to the following conclusion: the National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN); Deputy Legal Adviser, Okechukwu Osuoha; National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu; and National Organizing Secretary have been suspended for one month and referred to the PDP Disciplinary Committee.”
