BREAKING; Fed High Court bans PDP from removing Damagum as National Chairman
The Federal High Court in Abuja has issued a restraining order against the National Executive Committee (NEC) and the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), preventing them from removing the Acting National Chairman of the party, Amb. Ilya Damagum.
The court ruled that only Damagum shall be recognised as the PDP national chairman until the party’s national convention scheduled for December next year. Justice Peter Lifu delivered the judgment in response to a lawsuit filed by Senator Umar El-Gash Maina.
Justice Lifu stated that, according to Articles 42, 47, and 67 of the PDP Constitution, national officers can only be elected during the National Convention. He emphasised that all PDP members must adhere to the party’s constitutional provisions.
In the case marked FHC/ABJ/CS/579/2024, the plaintiff, claiming to be the Chairman of the PDP in Yobe State, alleged that certain party stakeholders were holding secret meetings aimed at forcibly removing Damagum from his position, violating the party’s Constitution.
He indicated that Dr. Phillip Omeiza Salawu, a former Deputy Governor of Kogi State, was being promoted as Damagum’s replacement.
Maina reported that he sent two letters to the party’s national secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, to address the clandestine meetings, but no action was taken despite their acknowledgment.
Represented by Joshua Musa, SAN, Maina sought the court’s intervention to prevent any attempts to replace Damagum, citing Articles 45, 47, and 67 of the PDP Constitution. He argued that the national chairmanship should rotate between the northern and southern regions, rather than be altered through any unauthorized means.
After reviewing the PDP’s Constitution and relevant evidence, Justice Lifu concurred with the plaintiff, stating that Damagum could only be replaced at the national convention or by a court order.
He further asserted that any efforts to terminate the remaining four-year tenure designated for the northern region without a national convention would violate the PDP Constitution.
The judge dismissed the defendants’ claims that the plaintiff lacked standing and that the court had no jurisdiction, ruling instead that Maina’s concerns about the protection of the PDP Constitution and the rights of the northern region were valid grounds for the suit.
Ultimately, Justice Lifu confirmed that the PDP NEC and BoT are bound by the party’s Constitution, and affirmed that Damagum, having been appointed from the northern region, is entitled to complete the remainder of the national chairmanship term.
Leave a Reply