PDP leadership crisis festers as BoT rejects Anyanwu’s reinstatement

From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja

The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may have assumed a new twist following the rejection of Senator Samuel Anyanwu’s reinstatement as national national secretary by the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT).

The BoT described as a nullity Anyanwu’s reinstatement as well as the cancellation of the 100th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the party by the acting chairman, Umar Damagum.

In a statement by its chairman, Senator Adolphus Wabara, yesterday, accused Damagum of alleged gross violation of the PDP constitution.

Consequently, Wabara stated that in line with Section 31(3) of the PDP Constitution, the resolution of the NEC at its 99th NEC meeting to hold the 100th meeting on June 30,  was  binding on all organs and members of the party.

Damagum had, at a press briefing, on Wednesday, announced the reinstatement of Anyanwu as PDP national secretary, as well as the postponement of the 100th NEC scheduled for June 30.

The office of national secretary has been a bone of contention in the PDP since December 2024, when the Court of Appeal, Enugu Division, affirmed the judgment of an Enugu High Court, which upheld the nomination of former national youth leader of the party, Sunday Ude-Okoye by the South East chapter as Anyanwu’s replacement.

The South East PDP had nominated Ude-Okoye as national secretary after Anyanwu emerged as the party’s candidate in the last Imo State governorship election.  

However, the Supreme Court, in its judgment on the dispute, overturned the majority judgment and upheld the minority judgment which stated that the issue was an internal affairs of the PDP.  In the wake of the apex court’s verdict, PDP Governors’ Forum recommended that the deputy national secretary, Setonji Koshedo, assume office as acting secretary pending the nomination of a substantive national secretary by the South East.

After the NWC ratified the proposal of the governors, the South East PDP re-nominated Ude-Okoye as its choice for Anyanwu’s replacement. The PDP at the 99th NEC on May 27, received the South East resolution and deferred its consideration to June 30.

After PDP leaders, including some NWC members and governors, met with the INEC on Tuesday, following the commission’s rejection of the party’s correspondence notifying it of the June 30 NEC meeting, Damagum, on Wednesday, announced Anyanwu’s reinstatement and the cancellation of the 100th NEC.

However, Wabara said no individual in the party could override the decision of NEC, which is the second highest organ of the PDP after the National Convention.

The BoT chairman said:  “The BoT, in defence of the Constitution of the PDP states categorically that these pronouncements by the acting National Chairman are null, void and of no effect, being inconsistent and in gross violation of the express provisions of the Constitution of the PDP (as amended in 2017)

“For the avoidance of doubt, the National Executive Committee (NEC) is the highest decision-making organ of the party, second only to the National Convention. By virtue of Section 31(3) of the PDP Constitution, the resolution of the NEC at its 99th NEC meeting held on Tuesday, May 27, to hold its 100th meeting on Monday, June 30 is binding on all organs and members of the PDP.

“To this effect, being a NEC decision, no organ, group or individual has the power or competence to cancel, adjust or postpone the 100th NEC meeting already scheduled by NEC to hold on Monday, June 30.

“It is, therefore, not within the remit or authority of the acting National Chairman to override a collective decision of the NEC. Such conduct amounts to an affront to the constitutional authority of NEC and the collective will of our party. “Furthermore, the statement purporting to reinstate Senator Samuel Anyanwu as National Secretary is equally spurious and offensive to the spirit and letter of the PDP Constitution, the outcome of the Supreme Court judgment and the resolution of NEC.

“The decision of the National Working Committee (NWC) at its 600th meeting directing the Deputy National Secretary to act as National Secretary in accordance with the extant powers of the NWC remains valid, having not been set aside by the NWC or NEC. The attempt by Damagum to overturn that decision is a gross abuse of office.”

The BoT chairman noted that the board as the conscience of the PDP cannot allow the party  “descend into chaos through acts of impunity, unilateralism and disregard for constitutional procedures.”

Therefore, Wabara, while stating that the 100th NEC meeting would hold as scheduled on June 30, urged members of the party organ to ignore any information to the contrary.

He added that the PDP deputy national secretary, Setonji Koshoedo  remains the acting national secretary of the party, until there is a contrary decision communicated through the appropriate party organ.

“The BoT reiterates that no individual interest is greater than the institutional integrity of the PDP. The BoT, as the moral compass of the party, will continue to defend due process, uphold party supremacy and protect the democratic ethos upon which the PDP is founded,” Wabara said.