A Federal High Court in Abuja has issued a restraining order preventing the National Executive Committee (NEC) and Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from removing Umar Damagum as the Acting National Chairman. This ruling ensures that Damagum remains in his position until the party’s national convention, scheduled for December 2025.
The decision, delivered by Justice Peter Lifu, followed a lawsuit filed by Senator Umar El-Gash Maina. Maina argued that any attempt to alter the party’s leadership must follow the PDP Constitution, specifically Articles 42, 47, and 67, which state that national officers can only be elected during the National Convention.
Maina, Chairman of the PDP in Yobe State, expressed concerns that certain factions within the PDP were plotting to replace Damagum with Dr. Phillip Omeiza Salawu, a former Deputy Governor of Kogi State. He claimed to have sent letters to the party’s National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, detailing these covert activities but received no substantial response.
Justice Lifu ruled in Maina’s favor, emphasizing that the leadership of the PDP must adhere to the constitutional procedures, particularly the rotation of the chairmanship between the northern and southern regions. He also declared that any move to remove Damagum without a convention or court order would violate the party’s Constitution.
The court’s ruling reaffirmed that Damagum, appointed from the northern region following the departure of former national chairman Senator Iyorcha Ayu, is entitled to serve the remainder of the four-year term. Justice Lifu concluded that the PDP’s NEC and BoT are bound by the Constitution, and any disruption of Damagum’s tenure would be a serious breach.
