On Friday, the Federal High Court in Abuja issued a restraining order preventing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s National Executive Committee (NEC) and Board of Trustees (BoT) from removing Amb. Ilya Damagum as Acting National Chairman. The court ruled that Damagum must remain in the role until the party’s national convention scheduled for December 2025.
Justice Peter Lifu, who delivered the ruling, stated that under the party’s constitution, national officers can only be elected or replaced at the National Convention. The judgment came in response to a suit filed by Senator Umar El-Gash Maina, who argued that certain party members were plotting to unlawfully replace Damagum with Dr. Phillip Omeiza Salawu, a former Deputy Governor of Kogi State.
The court emphasized that any attempt to oust Damagum before the national convention would violate the PDP Constitution and infringe upon the rights of the northern region to serve out the remaining four-year tenure, which Damagum inherited from former chairman, Senator Iyorcha Ayu.
Justice Lifu dismissed the defendants’ claims that the plaintiff lacked standing, affirming that Maina had the right to protect the party’s constitution and the northern region’s interest. The ruling ensures that only the PDP National Convention or a court order can replace Damagum as Acting National Chairman.
