Governors elected under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are set to gather today in an important meeting to address the ongoing leadership conflict within the party. The crisis, which has been brewing since after the 2023 general elections, reached new heights last Friday with the suspension of key party leaders, sparking tensions between different factions of the opposition party.
The trouble escalated when the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party, led by Acting National Chairman Umar Damagum, announced the suspension of the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, and the National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN). The NWC’s decision was seen as a bold move to address internal conflicts but quickly backfired.
In a surprising twist, within hours of the suspension announcement, the faction aligned with Kamaldeen Ajibade responded by suspending Umar Damagum himself along with the party’s National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu. This counteraction deepened the rift within the party, as the two factions clashed over who holds legitimate authority.
Adding to the turmoil, Alhaji Yayari Mohammed, a factional chairman of the party, emerged on the scene. Despite a court ruling barring any move to remove Damagum from his position, Mohammed, who is linked to the camp of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, officially took over as National Chairman on Sunday. This action fueled concerns of a prolonged leadership struggle within the PDP.
The party now appears split into two dominant camps: one loyal to Atiku Abubakar and another backing Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Reports suggest that at least six PDP governors are aligned with Mohammed (Atiku’s camp), while four governors support Damagum, who is seen as a Wike loyalist. Meanwhile, two governors remain neutral, not publicly siding with either faction.
