Umar Damagum, national chairman of PDP
Umar Damagum, national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has petitioned Kayode Egbetokun, the inspector general of police (IGP), over the alleged invasion of the party’s national secretariat by Samuel Anyanwu.
In the petition dated October 3, Damagum claimed that Anyanwu, the suspended national secretary, led a group of thugs to forcefully take over the secretariat in an attempt to install a factional leadership.
He also accused the suspended party officials — Abdulrahman Mohammed, vice-chairman for the north central zone; Kamaldeen Ajibade, national legal adviser; Okechukwu Osuoha, deputy legal adviser; and Umaru Bature, national organising secretary, of being part of the plot.
Damagum alleged that the attempt to install a factional leadership was backed by Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT).
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“To our utmost surprise and shock, on Monday, November 3rd, 2025, the suspended Sen. Samuel Anyanwu violently invaded the National Secretariat of our Party, with thugs mobilized by his Personal Aides Arthur Bruno, Emmanuel Okoronkwo and one Chidiebere Egwu brandishing dangerous weapons including guns, knives, cutlasses and sticks with which they broke into offices, unleashed violence, attacked, fired tear gas, wounded our staff, assaulted journalists and disrupted activities in our National Secretariat,” the letter reads.
“A female staff member who could not withstand the teargas suffocated and was later resuscitated. The thugs forcefully broke into the office of the National Chairman and attempted to install the said Abdulrahman Mohammed as the acting National Chairman of our Party.
“Currently, three of the staff are in the hospital receiving treatments for various degrees of injuries inflicted on them by the thugs. The staff in the hospital are: Mr Terna Tergba, Mrs Cecilia Ukwayi and Innocent Ezekiel.”
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Damagum said the “armed thugs” threatened members of the NWC, adding that the FCT police did not prevent the invasion.
Efforts by TheCable to get Anyanwu’s reaction on Wednesday morning were unsuccessful, as he declined to comment on the allegation.
BACKGROUND
On Monday, Mohammed declared himself the PDP acting national chairman at the party’s secretariat.
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He was accompanied to the PDP headquarters by a crowd of loyalists who demanded Damagum’s resignation.
LEADERSHIP TUSSLE
On Saturday, the PDP NWC, led by Damagum, suspended Anyanwu, Ajibade, Osuoha and Bature over alleged anti-party activities.
Debo Ologunagba, PDP spokesperson, who announced the suspension, said the decision followed an emergency meeting of the NWC in Abuja.
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Hours later, Anyanwu’s faction, which has Wike’s backing, suspended Damagum, Ologunagba, Taofeek Arapaja, the deputy national vice-chairman (south); Daniel Woyenguikoro, national financial secretary; Sulaiman Kadade, national youth leader; and Setonji Koshoedo, deputy national secretary.
Anyanwu’s faction subsequently appointed Mohammed as the acting national chairman, claiming that the decision was necessary to restore order and legitimacy within the party’s national leadership.
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