Dino Melaye, a former senator from Kogi state, on Friday, October 11, described Umar Damagum, the embattled acting national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as an “agent of destruction” planted by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Damagum, who has held the acting chairmanship position of the PDP since 2023 after the suspension of former chairman Iyorchia Ayu, has faced several internal challenges. Legit.ng gathered that the Damagum-led faction first suspended the national legal adviser, Adeyemi Ajibade, and the national publicity secretary, Debo Ologunagba, and set up a committee to probe their “disloyalty” to the party. In the same vein, the Ajibade faction countered by suspending Damagum and the national secretary, Samuel Anyanwu.

A meeting of top PDP leaders in Abuja on Thursday, October 10, was seen as a battle for the control of the party as it took a new dimension. The Damagum-led national working committee (NWC) was said to be under pressure to sanction some of its members perceived to be opposed to former Rivers state governor and the federal capital territory (FCT) minister, Nyesom Wike. Wike has not participated strongly in PDP’s activities since the 2023 general elections. While some persons have been calling for his suspension for helping an opposition candidate, Bola Tinubu, to power, the party has not sanctioned him. Pro and anti-Wike sentiments have polarised the party.