Former Vice President Josephine Joseph Lagu, Chairperson of the Service Cluster - Courtesy of the Office of the Vice President - Feb. 21, 2026

A leadership dispute has emerged within the People’s Democratic Movement (PDM) after one faction announced the removal of party leader and former Vice President Josephine Joseph Lagu, while another dismissed the move as unconstitutional.

In a press statement issued yesterday, a group of PDM members announced that they had removed Josephine Lagu from the party’s top position following what they described as consultations, internal evaluations, and a review of her performance.

The group accused Lagu of poor leadership, undermining internal democracy, nepotism, corruption, and creating divisions within the party and the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA).

They further claimed that Lagu no longer represents the party in any political, organizational, or public capacity and named Mathew John Barnaba as interim chairperson pending a general assembly.

The statement was signed by Mathew John Barnaba, Edward Dian Tangon, and Sarah Poni Mohamed on behalf of what they described as the party leadership.

However, another faction of the party quickly rejected the announcement, describing it as “irresponsible and unsubstantiated.”

In a separate statement issued by the Office of the Chairperson, PDM said the claims that Josephine Lagu had been removed were “entirely false, baseless and a desperate act of political opportunism.”

The party maintained that Josephine Lagu remains the duly recognized and substantive chairperson of the People’s Democratic Movement in accordance with the party constitution and the mandate given to her by party members.

The statement accused Mathew John Barnaba and Edward Dian Tangon of acting outside established party procedures, saying neither they nor the individuals backing the announcement have the authority to unilaterally declare changes in the party leadership.

PDM Information Secretary and official spokesperson Okello Odongtoo Lawiri said the actions of the group violated party regulations and internal governance structures.

He further claimed that most of the individuals supporting the announcement are not members of the party’s leadership council and urged party members and supporters to disregard what he termed a fraudulent declaration.

The latest dispute highlights growing divisions within the PDM, one of the political parties affiliated with the South Sudan Opposition Alliance, as rival factions continue to contest the party’s leadership.