By Umar Sani
The recent public contradiction by the Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Amb. Umar Ilya Damagum, against the National Publicity Secretary (NPS), Hon. Debo Ologunagba, is not only constitutionally unsound but also a direct affront to the National Executive Committee (NEC), the National Working Committee (NWC), and the institutional spirit of the PDP.
The PDP Constitution clearly vests the exclusive responsibility of communicating the party’s official positions in the National Publicity Secretary. He does not require authorization from any individual, including the Acting Chairman, to speak on matters relating to party policy, decisions, or public statements. His authority flows directly from the Constitution and is guided by the collective decisions of the NEC and NWC.
His recent restatement that the 100th NEC meeting will be held on June 30, 2025, was simply a reaffirmation of the resolution passed at the 99th NEC meeting on May 27, 2025. He was carrying out his constitutionally assigned role.
Amb. Damagum’s attempt to publicly counter the NPS raises serious constitutional and procedural concerns. Nowhere in our party’s framework is the Acting Chairman empowered to override or repudiate the NPS without recourse to due process. If the NPS had, in the opinion of the NWC, erred in judgment or procedure, the appropriate response would have been for the committee to meet and deliberate internally. If necessary, a clarification or correction could then be issued by the NPS himself, or another designated official always in collaboration with the NPS. Bypassing this process undermines party discipline and invites unnecessary chaos.
The Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) response to the party’s notification of the NEC meeting is equally troubling. INEC cited Part 2(12)(3) of its 2022 Guidelines and Regulations, claiming the PDP did not meet requirements concerning meetings involving mergers or NEC elections. Yet, no such items are on the agenda. The 100th NEC is focused on internal administrative matters: ratification of zonal congresses, formation of convention and zoning committees, and resolution of the party’s National Secretaryship dispute. These are strictly internal affairs. The Supreme Court in Okoye v. Anyanwu (2025), Emegokwue v. Okadigbo (1979), and APC v. Marafa (2020) consistently affirmed that political parties are masters of their own internal processes.
INEC’s sudden interest in what is clearly a routine NEC meeting is questionable, especially given its history of accepting similar communications from less senior party officials. For instance, when Damagum’s acting chairmanship was first conveyed, it was done solely by the National Secretary without co-signature from the Deputy National Chairman (South), yet INEC raised no objection. Its current posture appears selective and politically motivated.
There is growing concern that this interference is orchestrated in collusion with the ruling APC, allegedly using Nyesom Wike as a disruptive force within the PDP. It will be recalled that the 99th NEC meeting narrowly escaped sabotage after security operatives sealed off the Wadata Plaza. With that effort thwarted, a new attempt seems underway to sow internal confusion and delegitimize party structures ahead of the 100th NEC.
Amb. Damagum’s public outburst aligns disturbingly with these subversive efforts. By seeking to discredit the party’s official spokesperson, he is overstepping his bounds and playing into the hands of external destabilizers.
The PDP must safeguard its institutional integrity. The 100th NEC meeting must proceed as resolved. Damagum’s conduct should be subjected to serious internal review. The party must remain governed by its constitution not individual whims or outside influence.
The PDP is a party of order and rules. No one however highly placed is above its Constitution.
