PDP crisis: Damagum’s replacement will come from north-central, says Ologbondiyan

Kola Ologbondiyan, former spokesperson of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), says the north-central geopolitical zone will produce the national chair of the party.

On Tuesday, PDP governors met at the Bauchi state governor’s lodge in Abuja, while the national reconciliation committee convened separately at the party’s headquarters.

After the meeting, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, chair of PDP’s national reconciliation committee, said the NWC has been reconciled.

The PDP Governors Forum then announced the postponement of its NEC meeting to November 28, to allow the party focus on the Ondo state governorship election.

Speaking on the ‘Morning Brief’ a Channels Television programme, on Wednesday, Ologbondiyan described the decision as a “welcome development”.

“The reason for the postponement is to enable the leadership of the party to lead the party to win the election in Ondo State,” he said.

”And for that singular reason, members are calming down since it is certain now that after the victory in Ondo, on November 28 we will have a NEC meeting where the North-Central will have the opportunity to produce its replacement for Senator Iyorchia Ayu.”

Ologbondiyan added that although he was not part of the reconciliation meeting, the final decision will be made at the next NEC meeting.

“From the findings that we have, the decision has been reached that the north-central should produce a substantive chairman while the reconciliation process continues – and at the next meeting on November 28, the NEC will take a final decision,” he said.

“What I have said is part of the decision reached at the meeting last night — part of the meeting last night, part of the discussion and decision reached last night is that come November 28, the North-Central will produce a replacement to Ambassador illyas Damagun. I can say that anywhere,” he said.

The former PDP spokesperson said the party must be free from the dominance of Atiku Abubakar, former vice-president, and Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT).

He added that the party is committed to rescuing Nigerians from the hardship under President Bola Tinubu’s government.

BACKGROUND

The opposition party has been embroiled in an internal crisis since 2022, which has polarised its NWC.

In August, the party’s leadership constituted a national reconciliation committee to resolve the internal wrangling among members.

The crisis took a new twist last week when a faction in the NWC suspended Damagum, and Samuel Anyanwu, the national secretary, over alleged anti-party activities.

The Damagum-backed faction also suspended Kamaldeen Ajibade, the party’s national legal adviser, and Debo Ologunagba, the national spokesperson, for the same offence.

Hours later, Ologunagba’s faction announced the appointment of Yayari Mohammed as the party’s acting national chair.

The federal high court in Abuja restrained the national executive council (NEC), the highest decision-making organ of the party, and the board of trustees (BoT) from removing Damagum as the acting national chair.

In a judgment delivered via Zoom, Peter Lifu, the presiding judge, ordered that apart from Damagum, no other person must be recognised as the PDP acting national chairman until the party’s convention in December 2025.

On October 15, Bala Mohammed, chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, said the suspension of the NWC members by various factions has been lifted. He asked all members to return to status quo.