The leadership crisis bedevilling the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took a new twist on Friday as a faction has appointed Alhaji Yayari Ahmed Mohammed as the Acting National Chairman.
The party, in a statement signed by its spokesman, Debo Ologunagba, said it is sequel to the suspension of Amb. Illiya Damagum.
Recall Damagum was suspended by a faction led by the party’s National Legal Adviser and National Publicity Secretary after the suspended chairman alongside Samuel Anyanwu suspended Ologunagba and others.
The suspension and counter-suspension has deepened the crisis in the party a day after the party’s Board of Trustees tasked all members to appear before its disciplinary committee in order to resolve lingering crises in the party especially with regards to the Rivers State chapter of the party.
Mohammed’s appointment was contained in a statement by Ologunagba, which read, “Following the suspension of His Excellency, Amb. Illiya Damagum as the Acting National Chairman of our great Party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the National Working Committee (NWC) has approved the appointment of Alhaji Yayari Ahmed Mohammed as the Acting National Chairman.
“The appointment which takes immediate effect is pursuant to the provisions of the Constitution of the PDP (as amended in 2017).”
It said the NWC called on all “Organs, leaders, critical stakeholder and members of our great Party to remain focused at this critical time especially as the NWC commences arrangements towards the holding of the Party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting already scheduled for Thursday, 24th October, 2024.”