PDP crisis: Damagum under pressure to step down as acting Chairman next week

Indications emerged on Tuesday that Ambassador Umar Damagum, the acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has been offered the opportunity to step down from his position next week.

This decision was reached by the party’s governors during a meeting in Akure, the Ondo State capital.

Sources privy to the details of the gathering and a virtual meeting held earlier on Monday revealed that the governors were concerned about the factionalization within the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) and resolved to unite for the preservation of the party.

At the recent meeting, convened before the official flag-off of the PDP governorship campaign rally in Ondo State, the governors agreed to allow Damagum to retain his position as acting national chairman until the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting scheduled for October 24.

Damagum and Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja, the PDP Deputy National Chairman (South), were present at the meeting, alongside Balam Mohammed, Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum and Governor of Bauchi State, as well as Governors Seyi Makinde (Oyo) and Ademola Adeleke (Osun), among other party leaders.

This meeting continued discussions from the PDP Governors’ Forum’s virtual gathering held on Monday. During that meeting, Governor Adeleke expressed disappointment over the crisis that has led to the factionalization of the NWC, voicing concerns that it could negatively impact his re-election bid in 2026 as the first among the party’s first-term governors seeking a second term.

Adeleke reportedly challenged Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State for not supporting the North-Central’s bid to retain the chairmanship, despite being from the zone and a first-term governor. Mutfwang responded that, given recent developments, he now favored a chairman emerging from the North-Central, in accordance with the party’s constitution to resolve the impasse.

Mutfwang, along with governors Makinde, Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), and Agbu Kefas (Taraba), is believed to have initially opposed Damagum’s removal. This group is thought to be aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, whom Damagum has allegedly been supporting.

However, it was gathered that Makinde, seen as the leader of the group, proposed at the virtual meeting that if Damagum were to leave, he should be given a soft landing. Consequently, the meeting was postponed to include Damagum.

At the subsequent meeting, the governors agreed that while Damagum continues as acting chairman for the next few days, the NEC meeting would be used to ratify the North-Central’s nomination for the position and discuss potential dates for a national convention