Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja ruled on Friday that Umar Damagum is the rightful National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
This ruling was made in response to a lawsuit, identified as FHC/ABJ/CS/579/2024, brought forth by Senator Umar Maina against the PDP’s National Executive Committee (NEC) and Board of Trustees (BoT), among other parties.
Maina, who serves as the PDP chairman in Yobe State, accused certain party members of engaging in covert meetings aimed at forcibly removing Damagum, an action he contended violates the PDP Constitution.
He also asserted that there was a scheme in place to appoint former Kogi State Deputy Governor Phillip Salawu as Damagum’s successor.
Maina indicated that he had formally expressed his concerns regarding these secretive activities by sending letters to PDP National Secretary Senator Samuel Anyanwu.
Despite the acknowledgment of his correspondence, he noted that neither the National Secretary nor the BoT took any action in response.
Through his attorney, Joshua Musa (SAN), Maina urged the court to invoke Articles 45, 47, and 67 of the PDP Constitution to prevent any attempts to replace Damagum without adhering to the proper procedures.
He underscored the importance of the party’s leadership alternating between the northern and southern regions, as stipulated in the party’s Constitution.
Upon reviewing the PDP Constitution, Justice Lifu affirmed that Damagum’s removal could only occur at a national convention or by a judicial order.
The court decided that Damagum should keep his role until the next planned convention of the party in December of the next year. It also banned the PDP NEC and BoT from trying to oust Damagum without following the set rules.
Justice Lifu reminded that members of the PDP are required to follow the party’s rules and should do so.
He cautioned that any move to end Damagum’s term without a national convention would directly violate the organization’s basic principles.
In response to the defendants’ objections, Justice Lifu rejected their claims about Maina’s eligibility and the court’s authority.
He concluded that Maina’s case was based on the necessity to safeguard the PDP Constitution and the four-year term for the northern region. The judge observed that Maina, as a PDP member with a genuine interest in maintaining the party’s regulations, was justified in bringing the case.
In his concluding statement, Justice Lifu ruled that the NEC and BoT are legally obligated to honour the national convention as the sole proper way to alter the party’s leadership, thus affirming Damagum’s right to finish his term as the PDP’s national chairman.
