Ikenga Ugochinyere, spokesperson for the opposition Federal Lawmakers Coalition, has expressed support for the suspension of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman Umar Damagum by a faction of the party’s National Working Committee.
Following Damagum’s suspension, the party’s working committee appointed Yayari Mohammed, the current national treasurer, as Acting National Chairman.
However, a recent ruling by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja has placed a temporary hold on this action, restraining the PDP’s National Executive Committee (NEC) and Board of Trustees from removing Damagum from his position. The court emphasized that Damagum is to be recognized as the national chairman until the party’s national convention in December of next year.
In his judgment, Justice Lifu noted that new national officers can only be elected during the national convention, in accordance with Articles 42, 47, and 67 of the PDP’s constitution. This ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed by Senator Umar El-Gash Maina.
In his comments, Ugochinyere disagreed with the court’s interpretation, asserting that the ruling does not impede the National Working Committee’s decision to suspend Damagum. He maintained that “Yayari Mohammed remains the acting chairman while the party prepares for the NEC meeting later this month,” and called for the judiciary to refrain from interfering in the internal matters of the PDP.