PDP crisis: Dramatic moment that led to Ologunagba, Ajibade’s suspension

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been engulfed in serious crisis following the suspension of some members of the National Working Committee (NWC) on Thursday night and in the early hours of Friday.

The Umar Damagum led National Working Committee had suspended the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Debo Ologunagba and National Legal Adviser Kamaldeen Ajibade, SAN.

The Ologunagba group in the party had also suspended Damagum and the National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu.

However, Daily Trust gathered that trouble started for Ologunagba and Ajibade after the majority of the issues on the agenda at the NWC meeting were discussed and it was time for the any other business (AOB).

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Ali Odefa, National Vice Chairman South East, who had been suspended by a faction of the party in Ebonyi State, alleged that Ajibade, was supporting those working against him.

Another member also raised an allegation against Debo Ologunagba for issuing a statement on the situation in Rivers asking PDP members in the state to go out and vote during the last local government election in the state against the decision of the NWC.

A source close to the meeting said, when the argument got heated, Odefa and Kamaldeen were asked to leave the meeting since the issues concerned them and Ologunagba was absent.

At a point members were now asked to vote, a development that did not not go down well with the legal adviser.

Ajibade later walked into the meeting and carried his files and left, saying that what they were doing would not stand.

The National Financial Secretary who was said to be on the side of Ologunagba was also seen fuming, saying , “it cannot happen. It will not happen.”

But the deputy national chairman South, Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja, countered them saying, “let’s see how three members can be more than seventeen members. We have the numbers.”

It was at that point that the meeting ended in a rowdy session with those not happy with the situation shouting, “You have no right to dictate to us. We are all members of the NWC”.

Following the rowdyness, some security men were said to have entered the venue of the meeting and guided the party officials into their cars.

A member of the NWC had also alleged that monies in foreign currency were shared to some persons to change their loyalty, a situation that the acting National Publicity Secretary, Ibrahim denied.

Ibrahim told journalists at the party headquarters that, “there was no any inducement, and we are not guided by any interest.”