By Damilare Adeleye
The National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has suspended the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, and National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade, SAN.
The PDP National Director of Publicity, Chinwe Nnorom, who made this known in a statement issued in the early hours of Friday, stated that the party has established a committee, led by Deputy National Chairman (South) Taofeek Arapaja, to investigate the concerns raised against the officers in accordance with the party’s Constitution.
The statement read in part, “The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) arising from its 593rd Meeting today, Thurday, October 10, 2024, has directed the National Publicity Secretary (NPS), Hon Debo Ologunagba and National Legal Adviser (NLA), Kamaldeen Adeyemi Ajibade, SAN, to step aside.
“As a result, the NWC constituted a committee to be chaired by the Deputy National Chairman (South) H.E. Amb. Taofeek Arapaja, to investigate the issues raised against the officers in compliance with the provisions of the Constitution of the Party.”
The is coming after members of the National Working Committee of the party suspended the party’s Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum and Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, for alleged anti-party activities.
The embattled National Publicity Secretary of the party, Debo Ologunagba, confirmed this development in a statement conveying the NWC’s decision on Friday morning.
The statement read: “The National Working Committee, NWC, of the PDP has extensively considered the series of complaints raised against the Acting National Chairman, Amb. Illiya Damagum and National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, particularly with regard to the letter addressed by them to the Court of Appeal in Appeal against the Party’s position in the case involving the 27 former members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, who vacated their seats upon decamping from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress, APC.
“The NWC condemned this anti-party activity of the Acting National Chairman and the National Secretary, which is in gross violation of the provisions of the PDP Constitution (as amended in 2017) and their Oath of Office.
“Consequently, the NWC, pursuant to Sections 57, 58 and 59 of the PDP Constitution, has suspended Amb. Illiya Damagum and Sen. Samuel Anyanwu as Acting National Chairman and National Secretary of the Party, respectively, and referred them to the National Disciplinary Committee for further action.
“In the meantime, the two officials are suspended from all meetings, activities and programmes of the NWC pending the conclusion of investigation by the National Disciplinary Committee.”