Fresh Crisis Rocks PDP as Anyanwu Faction Suspends Acting Chairman Damagum, Five Others
The internal crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has deepened as a faction loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, announced the suspension of the party’s Acting National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum, and five other members of the National Working Committee (NWC).
Addressing journalists in Abuja on Saturday, the PDP National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, who spoke on behalf of the factional NWC, said the decision followed allegations of incompetence, financial misconduct, and disregard for court judgments by the suspended officials.
Anyanwu announced the party’s National Vice Chairman (North Central), Mohammed Abdulrahman, as the new Acting National Chairman, pending further decisions by the party’s disciplinary organs.
“Unfortunately, some people may say that the National Secretary, National Organising Secretary who has the responsibility of monitoring everything, and the National Legal Adviser, who is responsible for all legal issues, were purportedly suspended.
On this note, we decided to suspend the National Chairman of the party, Ambassador Ilya Damagum, for incompetence, financial misconduct, and disregard for court judgment. He has been suspended for one month and should face the Disciplinary Committee,” Anyanwu declared.
The development marks a new escalation in the long-running leadership tussle within the PDP, coming barely days after a court stopped the party from holding its planned 2025 National Convention pending compliance with statutory and constitutional requirements.
The faction’s move is believed to have the backing of influential figures aligned with Wike, who has been at odds with key party leaders over control of the PDP’s national structure.
Sources within the party revealed that the opposing camp, loyal to Damagum and the National Working Committee, has described the suspension as illegal and of no effect, insisting that Anyanwu has no constitutional authority to convene a factional meeting or announce leadership changes.
Political observers say the development could further destabilise the opposition party ahead of key political realignments in 2026, as internal divisions continue to widen between the Wike bloc and loyalists of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
As of the time of filing this report, the Damagum-led leadership had yet to issue an official statement responding to the suspension. However, party insiders hinted that an emergency NWC meeting might be convened soon to address the situation.
The PDP, once Nigeria’s dominant ruling party, has been grappling with deep internal fractures since its defeat in the 2015 general elections, with multiple factions emerging over leadership legitimacy and control of party structures.
