The PDP Acting Chairman has distanced the party from comments by its spokesman on INEC, calling them unauthorised and not reflective of party policy
PDP disowns publicity secretary Debo Ologunagba after he claimed the Independent National Electoral Commission lacked authority to block the party’s 100th National Executive Committee meeting.
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The statement, according to Acting Chairman Umar Damagum, was made without the approval of the party’s leadership and is not the official position of the Peoples Democratic Party.
In a strongly worded rebuttal on Monday, Damagum said Ologunagba’s comments were premature, ill-advised, and issued without due consultation.
He noted that the National Working Committee had scheduled a meeting with INEC leadership to address concerns raised in the Commission’s correspondence.
The PDP, once Nigeria’s dominant political force, has grappled with persistent internal rifts since its 2015 electoral loss.
Chief among these is a deepening leadership tussle involving the office of National Secretary, split between Sunday Udeh-Okoye and Senator Samuel Anyanwu, the latter backed by Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike.
This leadership conflict has delayed party meetings and raised procedural questions, especially concerning the official status of communications with INEC.
Despite naming Setonji Koshoedo as Acting Secretary, a fact-finding committee led by Taraba Governor Kefas Agbu confirmed that INEC still recognised Anyanwu as the party’s valid National Secretary.
As such, when Damagum notified INEC of the party’s planned NEC meeting, INEC rejected the communication, stating that such notice must be signed jointly by both the National Chairman and the National Secretary, not the Acting Secretary.
Ologunagba responded at a Sunday press briefing, insisting INEC had no constitutional authority to interfere in internal NEC or NWC gatherings.
He cited court rulings that limit INEC’s involvement to conventions and primaries, asserting that the party’s internal meetings were not subject to external control.
However, Damagum swiftly distanced the PDP from those remarks, stressing that Ologunagba acted alone.
He expressed disappointment that a matter of such sensitivity was addressed in public without following established internal processes.
“It is shocking and unfortunate that such a sensitive matter was addressed publicly without recourse to the leadership of the party,” he said. “The PDP will approach this issue through consultation, not posturing.”
Damagum further criticised a pattern of unilateral statements by the publicity secretary, warning that internal discipline must guide party communication.
He reassured members that the party remains committed to holding its NEC meeting responsibly and lawfully, with consensus guiding its actions.
As the party attempts to restore order and credibility amid leadership tussles and constitutional hurdles, Damagum urged all stakeholders to act in unity.
He promised that the PDP would resist undue interference but would do so with coordination and respect for due process.
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This latest episode reveals ongoing cracks within the PDP’s national structure and underscores the urgent need for the party to reestablish internal coherence ahead of crucial strategic decisions.
