PDP Acting National Chairman Damagum set to step down next week

Indications have surfaced that Ambassador Umar Damagum, the acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), might be stepping down from his position in the coming week.

This follows a meeting of PDP governors held in Akure, Ondo State, where growing concerns over factionalism within the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) were discussed.

At the meeting, which included key party officials such as PDP Deputy National Chairman (South) Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja and several state governors, including Bauchi State’s Bala Mohammed, Oyo’s Seyi Makinde, and Osun’s Ademola Adeleke, the group reportedly sought unity to stabilize the party ahead of the 2024 National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting.

The governors are reportedly considering allowing Damagum to remain in office until the NEC meeting on October 24, where a final decision on the chairmanship, likely from the North-Central region, will be made.

Concerns about how the internal crisis might affect political ambitions, especially for Governor Ademola Adeleke, were highlighted, with potential impacts on his 2026 re-election bid.

The upcoming NEC meeting is expected to ratify the leadership decision and could set dates for a national convention to resolve the ongoing leadership issues within the PDP.