From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja

The Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) Disciplinary Committee has summoned the embattled national secretary of the party, Samuel Anyanwu and former Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom.

The committee, in a statement by its chairman, Chief Tom Ikimi, yesterday, indicated that Anyanwu, Ortom and 10 other party chieftains, whose identities were not disclosed, are expected to appear before the panel on February 12.

Ikimi explained that the affected party leaders were summoned by the panel owing to petitions against them. He noted that the committee was committed to restoring discipline in the opposition party. However, details of the petitions against them were unavailable as of press time.

According to him, the Disciplinary Committee, at its meeting on Wednesday, in Abuja, considered the five petitions it has so far received, and resolved to step down three of them, so as not to jeopardise the ongoing peace moves by the PDP Governors’ Forum ( PDP-GF) and the Board of Trustees ( BoT).

He said: “The National Disciplinary Committee considered five (5) petitions received so far, and following a detailed review of the petitions, noted that the first set of the petitions was against some key members of the National Working Committee (NWC).

“The Committee came to the conclusion that in order not to jeopardise the ongoing reconciliatory efforts of the Governors’ Forum and the Board of Trustees, took a decision to step down  three of the petitions against top NWC members.

“The second set of petitions, which was put down for enquiry is  against the former Governor of Benue State, Dr. Samuel Ortom and 10 others and the one against Senator Samuel Anyanwu.

“Accordingly, the National Disciplinary Committee resolved to invite the affected persons to appear before it on Wednesday,  February 12, 2025, at the Legacy House, Maitama, Abuja.

“Those expected to attend are the petitioners and their witnesses on one hand and the affected party members and their witnesses on the other hand. The required notices have been issued accordingly.

‘The National Disciplinary Committee is committed to ensuring discipline within the party and restoring the integrity of the party.

“The Committee reiterates that the National Disciplinary Committee is a constitutionally established committee that is available to deal with matters brought before it fairly.”

The Ikimi-led 26-man disciplinary committee was inaugurated last August to treat cases of alleged anti-party activities in the aftermath of the 2023 general elections and other alleged infractions by party members.

The opposition party was hit by the crisis in the run-up to the last general elections, leading to top PDP members allegedly working against the party in the contests.

However, the crisis has continued to fester, leading to the polarisation of the National Working Committee (NWC). The crisis took a new twist after the Court of Appeal, Enugu Division, upheld the judgment of an Enugu High Court, which affirmed the former national youth leader of the party, Sunday Ude-Okoye as national secretary.

He was nominated by the South East PDP as replacement for Anyanwu, after the latter emerged as a candidate in the last general election.

Last week, Ude-Okoye and Anyanwu’s supporters clashed at the PDP national secretariat, after Anyanwu’s loyalists forced Ude-Okoye out of the BoT’s meeting.

Last Friday, the PDP-GF recognised the former national youth leader as the new scribe of the party and requested the NWC to implement the Court of Appeal judgment on who the authentic national secretary is.

Similarly, the BoT, on Wednesday, also recognised Ude-Okoye as the party’s secretary and urged the NWC to swear him in, immediately.