Why I Signed Letter To Appeal Court Over 27 Rivers Lawmakers — Damagum

Acting national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ambassador Iliya Damagum, has explained his decision to sign the controversial letter to the Appeal Court on the case involving the embattled 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly contrary to the position of the party’s national legal adviser, Mr. Ajibade, SAN.

Damagum, who said there was a precedence for his action, noted that he and the party’s national secretary are the signatories of PDP, stressing that he didn’t make the decision without consulting members of his team.

He stated this on Wednesday while inaugurating the Disciplinary and Reconciliation Committees of the party headed by Chief Tom Ikimi and Prince Olagunsoye Onyinlola, respectively.

Recall that a former national publicity secretary of PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, had lambasted Damagum and the party’s national secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, for writing to the Appeal Court in Rivers State, insisting that the party would remain on an appeal over the embattled 27 Rivers State lawmakers contrary to the position of the party’s legal adviser, Mr. Ajibade, SAN.

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The former party spokesman said the acting national chairman breached the party’s constitution by taking that action without recourse to the national legal adviser who, he said, is empowered by Section 42 (1) of the party’s constitution to nominate legal representation for the party.

Earlier, opposition federal lawmakers had accused Damagum and Anyanwu of orchestrating a plot to undermine the party’s interests in Rivers State.

The group led by Rep Ikenga Ugochinyere said Damagun and Anyawu opposed the PDP national legal adviser’s move to ensure that the sacked pro-Wike 27 lawmakers, who defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) from PDP, are neutralised and stopped from doing any harm to PDP interest and possible removal of Governor Siminalayi Fubara from office.

Ugochinyere explained that the Rivers State High Court had previously issued an ex parte order on July 8, 2024, restraining key state officials from interacting with the defected lawmakers.

However, he alleged that Dr. J.Y. Musa, SAN, filed an appeal against the order, despite opposition from the PDP’s national legal adviser.

He said, “The National Legal Adviser, constitutionally empowered to protect the interests of the PDP, had already moved to withdraw the appeal on July 24, 2024, recognizing its potential harm to the party.

“However, in a shocking turn of events, on August 15, 2024, Damagum and Anyanwu sent a letter to the Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt, dissociating themselves from the withdrawal, effectively undermining the Legal Adviser’s authority,” Ugochinyere said.

However, responding for the first time on the crisis, Damagum said, “I also want to use this opportunity to clear certain insinuations that have been trending on social media. Last I checked, the signatories of this party are the chairman and the secretary.

“Just because the chairman and secretary signed a letter, it has become an issue. People are making all sorts of insinuations about it. I don’t want to engage with the other person—it’s a distraction.

“But it pains me when I see someone who knows the workings of the NWC going on television to mislead the audience and say things that are not correct. It is painful. Very, very painful.

“There is precedent for what we did. During Kashamu’s case, the chairman and secretary brought it to the Supreme Court. There was also the issue of Anambra.

“Two issues arose. The chairman and secretary, in any situation, work as a team. I don’t make decisions without consulting my members,” the acting PDP national chairman stated.