The spokesperson for the Nigeria opposition lawmakers coalition, Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, has stated that the court order did not prevent the National Working Committee (NWC) of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) from removing the acting National Chairman, Illiya Damagun. According to Ugochinyere, there was no Federal or State High Court order in place before Damagun’s long-overdue removal as PDP Chairman.

Following the suspension of His Excellency, Amb. Illiya Damagun as the Acting National Chairman and others, the PDP’s NWC approved the appointment of Alhaji Yayari Ahmed Mohammed, the current National Treasurer of the party, as the Acting National Chairman.

However, on Friday, Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja restrained the National Executive Committee (NEC) and Board of Trustees (BoT) of the PDP from removing Ambassador Umar Damagun as the Acting National Chairman. The court ordered that no other person must be recognized as the PDP national chairman other than Damagun until the party’s national convention, scheduled for December next year.
Justice Lifu issued the restraining order while delivering judgment in a suit instituted against the PDP NEC, BoT, and others by Senator Umar El-Gash Maina. The judge held that according to Articles 42, 47, and 67 of the PDP constitution, national officers can only be elected at the party’s National Convention.

Reacting to the judgment, Ugochinyere faulted the decision, emphasizing that the court order did not stop the PDP NWC from sacking Damagun as the acting National Chairman. He claimed that Justice Lifu’s order, which favors the pro-Wike APC-backed PDP faction, came after Damagun had already been suspended.

Ugochinyere insists that Alhaji Yayari Ahmed Mohammed remains the acting chair while the party awaits the NEC meeting later this month. He also urged the courts to refrain from interfering in internal party affairs.