Umar Damagum has been named the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) temporary national chairman.
In a statement on Tuesday, PDP National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba stated, “The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) recognises the Order of the Benue State High Court, dated March 27, 2023, with reference to the Chairmanship position of our great party.
The NWC decided that the Deputy National Chairman (North), His Excellency, Amb. Umar Ililya Damagum, “assumes the National Chairmanship of our Party in an acting capacity with effect from today, Tuesday, March 28, 2023,” in accordance with Section 45 (2) of the PDP’s Constitution (as amended in 2017).
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He takes the position of Iyorchia Ayu, who was expelled from his Benue State ward for anti-party behaviour. As a result, the court prohibited him from acting as the party’s chairman while the substantive suit was being decided; the hearing date was set for April 17, 2023.
Terhide Utaan, a party member from Benue who is the plaintiff before Judge W. I. Kpochi, was able to secure the injunction preventing Ayu from misrepresenting himself as the party’s national chairman.
After obtaining the court order, the plaintiff told the media that it was improper for Ayu to remain the PDP chair after being suspended by his Igyorov Ward Exco. He contended that doing so would only make the situation worse.
There were requests for Ayu to resign from the position prior to his suspension. A group of governors in the party known as G5 repeatedly demanded his resignation from the position in the run-up to the 2023 general elections, which the PDP lost to the prevailing All Progressives Congress.
The G5, led by Governor Nyesom Wike, contended that because Ayu is also from northern Nigeria and the party’s presidential nominee Atiku Abubakar is from there, it should open the door for a southerner to take the helm.
The G5 claimed that members who supported Atiku based their choice on fairness and equity.
