A Federal High Court in Abuja has issued a restraining order against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), preventing it from appointing or nominating a replacement for its Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum. This order comes pending the determination of a lawsuit filed before the court.

The decision was made by Justice Peter Lifu after hearing arguments from the plaintiffs, Umar Maina and Zanna Gaddama. The lawsuit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/579/2024, was brought against the PDP, its National Working Committee (NWC), National Executive Committee (NEC), Board of Trustees (BoT), and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The plaintiffs’ lawyers, led by M. O. Onyilokwu, requested the court to issue an interim injunction restraining the defendants from appointing, selecting, or nominating anyone to replace Damagum as National Chairman or Acting National Chairman pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.

This development follows a demand from 60 members of the House of Representatives, who called for Damagum’s resignation on April 8. The group, led by Ikenga Ugochinyere, accused Damagum of favoring the All Progressives Congress and demanded his removal.

Additionally, members of the PDP from the North-Central zone insisted on Damagum’s removal, arguing that the position should be zoned to their region to complete the tenure of Iyorchia Ayu, who was suspended as National Chairman last year.