The Peoples Democratic Party has dismissed a proposal by former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido, seeking the dissolution of the newly inaugurated National Working Committee and the appointment of a caretaker leadership.
Lamido had, earlier in the week, issued a 10-day ultimatum demanding that the party resolve its internal disputes or face fresh legal action. His threat followed an earlier lawsuit challenging the validity of the national convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State, in mid-November.
Speaking to his supporters at his Sharada Office in Kano, the former governor insisted that only Umar Damagum and Samuel Anyanwu remain the authentic national chairman and secretary until their tenure expires on 8 December 2025.
But the PDP said on Saturday that Lamido’s demand was not only inconsistent with the party’s constitution but impossible to implement due to ongoing court cases.
National Publicity Secretary produced by the Ibadan convention, Ini Ememobong said that Lamido’s sudden emphasis on internal mechanisms was ironic, given that he had chosen litigation over party channels from the onset.
According to him, the present legal reality makes Lamido’s request unworkable, as multiple factions already hold conflicting court rulings now being contested at the Court of Appeal.
“He went to court and secured a judgment. The Anyanwu group also has a judgment. Others have cases pending at the High Court. All of us are now before the Court of Appeal. With subsisting court orders, dissolving the NWC is practically impossible,” he said.
Ememobong stressed that the PDP constitution makes no provision for a national caretaker committee, and the party cannot create a structure that does not legally exist while appeals have already been entered.
He noted that had Lamido opted for internal dialogue earlier, the dispute might have been settled without litigation.
On reconciliation efforts, the spokesman said the party elders, the Board of Trustees, and NWC leaders have been reaching out across the country, but peace would only hold if all sides genuinely commit to it.
“There is a disposition for reconciliation, but both parties must be willing. You cannot reconcile on a basis that insists everything must favour one side,” he said.
