PDP suspends national chairman, secretary for anti-party activities in Rivers

Members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have suspended the party’s Acting National Chairman, Amb. Umar Damagum and Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, for alleged anti-party activities.

Reports said the decision to suspend the two national officers was taken at an emergency meeting held by a majority of members of the NWC which ended in the early hours of Friday.

Debo Ologunagba, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, who confirmed this development in a statement issued early Friday morning, cited the officer’s activities in Rivers State.

The statement read: “The National Working Committee, NWC, of the PDP has extensively considered the series of complaints raised against the Acting National Chairman, Amb. Illiya Damagum and National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, particularly with regard to the letter addressed by them to the Court of Appeal in Appeal against the Party’s position in the case involving the 27 former members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, who vacated their seats upon decamping from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress, APC.

“The NWC condemned this anti-party activity of the Acting National Chairman and the National Secretary, which is in gross violation of the provisions of the PDP Constitution (as amended in 2017) and their Oath of Office.

“Consequently, the NWC, pursuant to Sections 57, 58 and 59 of the PDP Constitution, has suspended Amb. Illiya Damagum and Sen. Samuel Anyanwu as Acting National Chairman and National Secretary of the Party, respectively, and referred them to the National Disciplinary Committee for further action.

“In the meantime, the two officials are suspended from all meetings, activities and programmes of the NWC pending the conclusion of investigation by the National Disciplinary Committee.”

The party’s Board of Trustees had earlier enjoined all party members to endeavour to appear before the party’s disciplinary committee should they be summoned.

Chairman of the BoT, Senator Adolphus Wabara, had at the 78th meeting of the board urged the NWC to expediate action and ensure that the party’s National Executive Committee, NEC, meets on October 24 as scheduled.