Alhaji Umar Damagum, will continue as the Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic party, pending the election of a new chairman in August, the National Executive Committee (NEC) has said.

This, the party said was to ensure reconciliation and to take care of other issues within the party.

“We will look at the issue of leadership and look at the issue of our constitution where it will be and we will do it without rancour,” chairman of the PDP Governors Forum and Gov. Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State told journalists at the end of the 98th NEC meeting of the party on Thursday in Abuja.

“In the next two months we will see a lot of activities, leadership is a responsibility. We said in September that we would have come out from our congresses.

Bala added that the successful conduct of the party’s NEC meeting was an indication that there was no dissension and rancour within the leadership.

“It was planned that the party will have an explosion. PDP is more than that, we have gone beyond all these ideocracies. This party is a united party that is guided by experience and constitutionality.

“There were a lot of permutations and mischievous thinking outside there. But we looked at all the issues and we worked along our guidelines and constitution. There is no problem or dissension and problem among members,” he said.

Also speaking, Damagum said that the leadership of the party was not a do or die affair.

“This is not a matter of life and death. I am still an elected member of this NEC. Even if I revert to deputy national chairman I’m still a member of NWC. The issue of surviving or not does not emerge,” he said.

Also, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr Debo Ologunagba said that issue of the party leadership would be considered in August.

“Our party emphasizes the need for reconciliation and stability within the party at this time. Therefore, the issue of the National Chairman, Damagum, has been deferred to the next NEC meeting, which is tentatively scheduled for Aug. 15,” he said.

Ologunagba later read the communique at the end of the meeting, saying that the NEC tasked all organs, leaders, stakeholders and members of the PDP to close ranks and put aside their differences and work together to reposition and return the PDP to power.

He said that the NEC also received and approved the timetable for the party’s congresses across the country.

“NEC also approved the Reconstitution of the Party Disciplinary and Reconciliation Committees to further ensure the stability of the Party.

“Similarly, NEC approved the extension of the life of the Party Constitution Amendment Committee to allow it to receive new amendment proposals for inclusion in its deliberation and final report for consideration by NEC.

“NEC commended the efforts of the National Working Committee in its effort towards rebranding the Party including the new look PDP Logo which is widely accepted by Party members and Nigerians in general.

“NEC charges all Party members to continue to work together for the success of the PDP for the benefit of Nigerians and sustenance of Democracy in our country,” he said.

Ologunagba said that the NEC advised President Bola Tinubu to convene a special National Security Council meeting to proffer a holistic solution to the current security challenge facing the country.

He said that the NEC also urged Tinubu to rejig his economic team to include individuals with proven integrity and competence to assist in repositioning the economy.

“NEC further demands that the Federal Government should review all policies and programmes which are stifling the economy with suffocating effect on the lives of citizens; including the increase in price of fuel without cushioning measures, hike in electricity tariff, increased taxation and implementation of adverse fiscal policies,” he said.

The meeting was attend by former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr Nyesom Wike, NWC members, BOT members, serving governors and members of the National Assembly.(NAN)

A Federal High Court in Kano has halted the suspension of the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.

The ruling came on Wednesday after Ganduje filed an ex parte motion seeking to enforce his fundamental right to fair hearing.

The respondents in the application are the Police, Department of State Services, DSS, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, and nine others.

On April 16, APC executives in Dawakin Ward, Tofa LGA of Kano State, suspended Ganduje over alleged corruption.

However, the State Working Committee, SWC, of the APC in Kano nullified the suspension and punished the ward executives.

But a Kano High Court presided by Justice Usman Na’Abba upheld the suspension.

In the ex parte order delivered on Wednesday by the Federal High Court and made available to newsmen on Thursday, a Kano High Court presided by Justice A. M Liman ruled that the suspension should not be implemented until the case filed by Ganduje is heard and determined.

“All the respondents, their servants, agents or privies are hereby restrained from implementing and/or giving effect to the purported decision reached during the purported emergency meeting of the alleged executive members of APC Ganduje Ward, held at Ganduje Ward of Dawakin Tofa Local.

“All the parties are hereby mandated to maintain status quo before the purported emergency meeting of the alleged executive members of APC Ganduje Ward, and to stay action in respect of this matter pending the hearing and determination of the substantive application,” Justice Liman said.

The judge subsequently fixed April 30 to hear Ganduje’s suit

The Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, has faulted Governor Usman Ododo of Kogi State for obstructing the arrest of his predecessor, Yahaya Bello, by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

Fagbemi said it’s “insufferably disquieting” for Ododo to obstruct EFCC from arresting Bello.

On Wednesday, operatives of EFCC had stormed Bello’s residence in Abuja in an attempt to arrest him over an ongoing fraud investigation.

But Bello was reportedly smuggled out of his residence by Ododo to evade arrest by the anti-graft agency.

Reacting, Fagbemi said EFCC should not be obstructed from carrying out its lawful duties.

In a statement he personally signed, the AGF said: “A situation where public officials who are themselves subject of protection by law enforcement agents will set up a stratagem of obstruction to the civil and commendable efforts of the EFCC to perform its duty is to say the least, insufferably disquieting.

“A flight from the law does not resolve issues at stake but only exacerbates it.

“I state unequivocally that I stand for the rule of law and will promptly call EFCC and indeed any other agency to order when there is indication of any transgression of the fundamental rights of any Nigerian by any of the agencies but I also tenaciously hold the view that institutions of State should be allowed to function effectively and efficiently.”