The Federal High Court in Abuja has issued a restraining order against the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from removing Mr. Umar Damagum as the acting national chairman of the party.
Justice Peter Lifu delivered the judgment during a virtual proceeding on Friday, stating that the PDP National Executive Committee (NEC) and Board of Trustees (BoT) must not recognize any other person as the party’s national chairman until the national convention, scheduled for December 2025.
Justice Lifu emphasized that, according to Articles 42, 47, and 67 of the PDP constitution, national officers can only be elected during the national convention. He highlighted that PDP members are bound by the party’s constitution and must act in accordance with its provisions.
The suit, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/579/2024, was brought by Joshua Musa, SAN, on behalf of Sen. Umar Maina, who claimed to be the chairman of the PDP in Yobe State. The plaintiff alleged that certain stakeholders within the party had been holding secret meetings to forcibly remove Damagum from office, which he claimed violated the party’s constitution.
Maina further alleged that Dr. Phillip Salawu, a former Deputy Governor of Kogi State, was being considered as a replacement for Damagum. Upon learning of these clandestine meetings, Maina stated that two separate letters of complaint were submitted to the national secretary of the party, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu.