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

Ambassador Iliya Damagum, the acting national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has publicly defended his decision to sign a controversial letter to the Appeal Court concerning the case of 27 Rivers State lawmakers. This decision has stirred controversy within the party and is at odds with the stance of the party’s national legal adviser, Mr. Ajibade, SAN.

Damagum made the clarification on Wednesday during the inauguration of the party’s Disciplinary and Reconciliation Committees, emphasizing that his action was guided by precedents and done in consultation with the party’s national secretary. He underscored that the chairman and secretary are the official signatories for the PDP, and therefore, his decision was within his authority.

The dispute has intensified following criticism from former PDP national publicity secretary Kola Ologbondiyan, who accused Damagum and the national secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, of ignoring the party’s legal adviser. Ologbondiyan argued that this move breaches the party’s constitution, which grants the legal adviser exclusive authority to nominate legal representation.

Further complicating matters, opposition lawmakers have alleged that Damagum and Anyanwu are undermining PDP interests in Rivers State. Rep. Ikenga Ugochinyere has accused the pair of opposing the legal adviser’s efforts to neutralize lawmakers who defected from PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Ugochinyere criticized the appeal of a court order that had previously restrained state officials from interacting with these defected lawmakers.

In his defense, Damagum refuted the criticisms, stressing that his actions were in line with party procedures and citing past instances where similar decisions were made. He expressed frustration over what he perceives as misleading representations of his actions in the media and reaffirmed that all major decisions are made with team consultation.