The ongoing political drama within the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has taken another twist.
A Federal High Court in Abuja has issued a restraining order against the National Executive Committee (NEC) and Board of Trustees (BoT) of the PDP.
The court has prevented them from removing Umar Damagum as the Acting National Chairman of the party.
Justice Peter Lifu delivered the ruling, stating that only the party’s national convention, scheduled for December 2025, can decide the fate of national officers.
This judgment came in response to a suit filed by Senator Umar El-Gash Maina, who claimed to be the PDP chairman in Yobe State.
Maina alleged that certain party stakeholders were secretly meeting to remove Damagum from his position. He argued that this was in violation of the party’s constitution.
He revealed that a former deputy governor of Kogi State, Phillip Salawu, was being pushed as a replacement for Damagum.
In his testimony, Maina stated, “I discovered plans to forcefully remove Damagum, and I acted to protect our party’s constitution.”
Justice Lifu reinforced that the PDP’s internal rules must be adhered to by all party members.
He stated that Articles 42, 47, and 67 of the PDP’s constitution clearly indicate that only the national convention has the authority to elect or remove national officers.
“The constitution is the supreme law of the party,” he noted.
In his ruling, Justice Lifu emphasized that Maina had shown sufficient interest and legal standing to challenge the actions of the NEC and BoT.
He said, “The plaintiff displayed his PDP membership card and raised a significant issue of protecting the party’s constitution.”
In the court documents, Maina accused some party members of holding clandestine meetings with the intent to undermine Damagum’s leadership.
He expressed frustration that his complaints were ignored by the national secretary of the PDP, Samuel Anyanwu.
“I delivered two letters about these meetings, and the national secretary acknowledged receipt. Yet, no action was taken,” Maina lamented.
This neglect, he argued, demonstrated a serious breach of trust within the party’s leadership.
The ruling has significant implications for the PDP, which has been plagued by internal strife and leadership challenges in recent years.
Political analysts believe that the court’s decision could stabilize the party temporarily but may not resolve the underlying issues.
“This ruling highlights the importance of following the party’s constitution. However, it does not eliminate the divisions within the PDP,” said political analyst Dr. Ifeanyi Okeke.
With the next national convention set for December 2025, the party has a long wait before it can resolve its leadership issues fully.
