The Nyesom Wike-backed Peoples Democratic Party has reversed the position of the factional national chairman, Umar Damagum, to deputy national chairman (North).

This was part of the resolutions at the party’s 2026 national convention held on Sunday in Abuja.

The motion for the reversal of Damagum’s position was moved by a former House of Representatives member, Tajudeen Yusuf (Kogi) and seconded by a party stalwart, Bello Bichi.

Mr Yusuf, while moving the motion, recalled that Mr Damagum was appointed as substantive national chairman of the party by the resolution of PDP’s 102nd NEC meeting held in 2025.

Another resolution of the convention was the ratification of the recent party’s congresses at the ward, local government and state levels.

The affected states included Abia, Akwa Ibom, Benue, Cross River, Edo, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Katsina, Kwara, Kogi, Ogun, Osun, Nasarawa, Niger, Rivers, and the FCT.

The convention also ratified the party’s zonal congresses in three regions. These were the North-East, South-South, and North-central.

The motion, moved by the senator representing Kogi-Central, Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan, and seconded by Zainab Baku, was unanimously endorsed by the delegates.

Another resolution of the convention was the ratification of the dissolution of the Abdulrahman Mohammed-led National Caretaker Working Committee, allowing the election of the party’s new executives.

Meanwhile, the national secretary of the dissolved NCWC, Samuel Anyanwu, has claimed that he is in possession of the original certificate of PDP. Mr Anyanwu made the claim while presenting details of the party’s report under Mr Muhammad’s leadership.

Mr Anyanwu claimed to hold the party’s authentic legal instruments. He described this as a mark of continuity and legitimacy during ongoing leadership disputes.

“I want to do something for sure. I want to show you that I have the original copy of the PDP certificate,” Anyanwu said.

He restated his role as the bridge between the 2021 NWC and the current transitional leadership.

On the party’s journey since December 10, 2021, Mr Anyanwu admitted that PDP had faced internal distress and wrangling that had threatened its formidable structure. He described the period leading up to 2026 as one of the most challenging in the party’s history, marked by conflicting interests and legal battles.

However, Mr Anyanwu noted that the party had successfully managed its financial obligations, including the debt inherited from previous administrations, while strictly adhering to accounting standards, despite several major accounts being frozen by court orders.

He lauded the purposeful leadership of Mr Muhammed, whom he described as a leader of extraordinary passion, saying that he shouldered the burden of sustaining the party during its “most triumphal” and trying events.

The national secretary urged all stakeholders and delegates to close ranks and embrace the spirit of unity.

He described PDP not just as a political organisation but as a “movement for democracy, progress and the Nigerian dream”.

(NAN)