On Friday, the National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, splitted into two factions following the suspension of some members of the NWC.

The Umar Damagum led National Working Committee had suspended the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Debo Ologunagba and National Legal Adviser Kamaldeen Ajibade, SAN, on Thursday.

But the Ologunagba group in the party also suspended Damagum and the National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, on Friday.

HorizonTimes gathered that the suspensions were not unconnected with the just concluded local government elections in Rivers State.

Ologunagba was accused of issuing a statement directing members of the PDP in Rivers to take part in the election, whereas, the party in the state had protested the conduct of the election and directed their members not to take part in the election.

According to a report by Daily Trust, trouble started for Ologunagba and Ajibade after the majority of the issues on the agenda at the NWC meeting were discussed and it was time for the any other business (AOB).

Ali Odefa, the National Vice Chairman South East, who had been suspended by a faction of the party in Ebonyi State, alleged that Ajibade, was supporting those working against him.

Another member also raised an allegation against Debo Ologunagba for issuing a statement on the situation in Rivers asking PDP members in the state to go out and vote during the last local government election in the state against the decision of the NWC.

A source close to the meeting said, when the argument got heated, Odefa and Kamaldeen were asked to leave the meeting since the issues concerned them and Ologunagba was absent.

At a point members were now asked to vote, a development that did not go down well with the legal adviser.

Ajibade later walked into the meeting and carried his files and left, saying that what they were doing would not stand.

The National Financial Secretary who was said to be on the side of Ologunagba was also seen fuming, saying , “it cannot happen. It will not happen.”

But the deputy national chairman South, Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja, countered them saying, “let’s see how three members can be more than seventeen members. We have the numbers.”

It was at that point that the meeting ended in a rowdy session with those not happy with the situation shouting, “You have no right to dictate to us. We are all members of the NWC”.

Following the rowdiness, some security men were said to have entered the venue of the meeting and guided the party officials into their cars.