The North Central Zonal Executive Committee (ZEC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described as laughable and insulting the purported suspension of the party’s National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum, and other members of the National Working Committee (NWC) by four NWC members.

In a communiqué issued after its meeting on Tuesday, the ZEC urged the National Vice Chairman (North Central), Alhaji Abdulrahman Mohammed, to distance himself from any action capable of worsening the crisis within the party.

Alhaji Mohammed had on Monday assumed office as Acting National Chairman following claims of Damagum’s suspension.

However, the PDP North Central Secretary, Hon. Francis Orogu, who read the communiqué at a press conference, insisted that Damagum could not be suspended by merely four NWC members and replaced by Mohammed.

Orogu accused certain individuals within the party of plotting to undermine the forthcoming PDP National Convention, adding that such actions were inimical to the unity and stability of the opposition party.

He called on the NWC to concentrate on rebuilding public confidence and reassuring supporters of its commitment to a credible congress and the emergence of a new leadership before the expiration of its current tenure.

According to him, “Although the North Central has been shortchanged during the micro-zoning of offices for the forthcoming National Convention, we must not allow ourselves to be dragged into the traps set by egomaniac and selfish politicians seeking to destroy the hope and future of Nigerians.”

The Zonal Secretary also stressed the need for prudence and strict implementation of National Executive Committee (NEC) decisions to strengthen the PDP ahead of the convention.

Orogu warned that failure to resolve the party’s internal crisis could, in the future, “provide an opportunity for judicial mischief by some corrupt judges, as witnessed in the 2023 general elections.”

He condemned the alleged use of security operatives to forcefully break into the PDP National Secretariat on Monday, describing it as “unbecoming of a civilized democratic society.”

Orogu also appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to caution security agencies against aiding what he termed “any form of criminal coup, whether military or political,” noting that both constitute crimes against democracy.