Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Umar Damagum, on Monday called on Nigeria’s security agencies to go after the party’s National Treasurer, Ahmed Yayari Mohammed, who is has been appointed as National Chairman by a faction of the party.
The Acting Chairman also urged them to secure the party’s national secretariat in Abuja and enforce the rule of law.
Damagun said Yayari and his supporters were trampling on the PDP constitution and judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which recognised him as the authentic acting chairman.
He said: “In the face of this reckless violation of a subsisting court order, we are hereby left with no option but to deploy the services of security agencies in the enforcement of the rule of law.”
Yayari, who claimed to have been endorsed by the PDP Governors’ Forum as factional acting chairman two days ago, failed to resume at the party office yesterday.
Damagun, who spoke with reporters in Abuja, reaffirmed his status as the interim chairman, warning Yayari against the violation of a court order.
Yayari on Sunday announced that he had assumed office as acting national chairman.
He said he had begun preparation for the October 24 National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the party.
He also called on the Northcentral zone to forward names of nominees for the national chairmanship seat.
To douse tension in the party, the Governors’ Forum and Board of Trustees (BoT) called for calm, warning that the escalation of the crisis could spell doom.
Damagum, who spoke through the Acting National Publicity Secretary, Ibrahim Manga, lamented that Yayari and his co-travellers adopted a ‘motor park approach’ by unleashing crisis on the party.
In a speech titled: “For the sake of PDP, Caution,” he insisted that the National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, and National Legal Adviser Kamaldeen Ajibade remained suspended, adding that they should utilise the period of suspension for genuine repentance.
Alluding to the subsisting judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja that no organ of the party should tamper with his position as national chairman till December next year, Damagum said Yayari, Ologunagba and Ajibade risked committing contempt of the court.
The leadership crisis in the main opposition party escalated at the weekend, following the suspension of Ologunagba and Ajibade by NWC.
In a counter-move, the suspended party officers also announced the suspension of Damagum and National Secretary Samuel Anyanwun.
Damagum chided Mohammed and the suspended officers for vituperations against the corporate existence of PDP, saying that their actions are condemnable.
He said efforts should be made to prevent the destruction of the party through avoidable conflicts.
Recalling a statement by former United States President John Kennedy that “leadership and learning are indispensable to each other,” Damagum said party actions should not be guided by ‘sentiments and personal interest,’ but by the constitution and other extant guidelines.
He explained that the decision to suspend the officers was taken at the 593rd NWC meeting held on October 10 at the party secretariat.
Damagum explained that following their suspension, Manga and Okechukwu Osuoha, who were their deputies, started acting in their absence.
He said their suspension was to allow the four-man NWC Investigation Committee, led by Deputy National Chairman (South), Taofeek Arapaja, to investigate the allegations of “abuse of office and insubordination” levelled against the duo.
Other members of the Committee are: Deputy National Secretary, Setonji Kosheodo, National Treasurer, Yayari Ahmed, and National Auditor Daniel Obi Okechukwu.
Frowning at the reactions of the suspended officers, the acting chairman said since the duo are lawyers, who had previously participated in the processes leading to the suspension of other officers, they should know better how to preserve the “sanctity of the party.”
He queried: “Why kill our great party due to the collective decision of your colleagues against your actions instead of availing yourselves of the Investigation Committee’s window to be exonerated or otherwise?”
The acting chairman insisted that the acting National Publicity Secretary and Acting National Adviser can act, based on the provisions of sections 40(2) and 42(2) of the PDP constitution.
Damagum rejected what he described as the resort to “motor pack” approach to a mere suspension aimed at providing the suspended officers with the opportunity to clear themselves of the allegations against them.
He said: “Although we have detailed knowledge of the drummers, the masqueraders should have been guided in their dance steps to avert stripping themselves naked on the stage.”
He thanked the Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT), Senator Adolphus Wabara, Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed and other party leaders for their intervention in the crisis.
Yayari has violated law, says Manga
Manga told reporters that security agencies were on the trail of Yayari for violation of law.
He said: “We are guided by law. There is a subsisting court order and any contempt of court order does not require any persuasion from us for its enforcement.
“The law has provided for itself sufficient mechanism for ensuring that violators of orders are dealt with strictly in compliance with the law.
“We are aware that the security agencies have been set to take action on that without our prompting and by the way, where is the purported chairman at the moment?
“He has not shown his face, he has been in hiding and all the lies coming from the pit of hell have not been substantiated and we are going to nip it all in the bud.”
Manga said PDP Governors have not endorsed Yayari as chairman, contrary to speculation in some quarters.
He described him as an interloper who was acting in violation of the Constitution.
Manga said: “Neither of the suspended duo nor the so-called appointed acting national chairman has come anywhere near the PDP national secretariat.
“Our party remains firmly united behind Ambassador Damagum as provided by law.
“To the best of our knowledge, all the 13 PDP governors are in support of the Damagum’s NWC.”
First published in The Nation, Nigeria
