From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has rejected a letter by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), notifying and inviting the Commission to its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting scheduled for June 30.

The electoral body, in a letter signed by its acting secretary, Haliru Aminu, and dated June 13, 2025, said the correspondence from the PDP violates part 2(12)3  of Regulations and Guidelines for political parties, 2022, which requires the national chairman and national secretary of political parties to sign such correspondence.

The letter, with reference number INEC/DEPM/ PDP/286/iii/80, was titled “Re: Notice of 100th National Executive Committee Meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party”.

The correspondence, which was addressed to the PDP chairman, read in part: “The Commission draws your attention that the notice is not in compliance with the requirements of part 2(12)3 of Regulations and Guidelines for political parties, 2022, that provides ‘the national chairman and national secretary of the party shall jointly sign the notice of convention, congress, conference or meeting, and submit same to the Commission.’ Be guided.”

When contacted, Rotimi Lawrence, Chief Press Secretary to the INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, confirmed that the letter emanated from the electoral body.

“Yes. The letter emanated from INEC”, Lawrence confirmed.

The PDP, in a letter by its acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, addressed to the INEC chairman and dated May 30, 2025, had informed the commission of its 100th NEC meeting scheduled for June 30. The PDP NEC, at its 99th meeting, on May 27, adjourned to June 30, during which it is expected to consider the resolution of its South East chapter for the replacement of Senator Samuel Anyanwu, with former national leader, Sunday Ude-Okoye, as national secretary, and other party issues.

Consequently, the NEC resolved that the party notifies  INEC of its 100th meeting, in line with Section 82(1) and 82 (5) of the Electoral Act 2022, which requires political parties to give the electoral body, at least, 21 days notice of any meeting, conference, convention or congress convened to choose member(s) of its executive committee.

Leaders of the opposition party have been on a warpath since the beginning of the year, following the judgment of the Court of Appeal, last December, which affirmed the nomination of Ude-Okoye by the South East as national secretary.

The former national youth leader was nominated by the zone in 2023 as Anyanwu’s replacement after the latter emerged as the PDP candidate in the last Imo State governorship poll.

An Enugu State High Court, in its judgment on the national secretary tussle, affirmed Ude-Okoye’s nomination and mandated the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) to swear him in. The Appeal Court, Enugu Division, in a majority judgment, upheld the verdict of the Enugu Court, while a minority judgment noted that the issue was an internal affair of the party, which the lower court has no jurisdiction over.

Recently, the Supreme Court in his verdict, on an appeal filed by Anyanwu, overturned the majority judgment and upheld the minority judgment. Regardless, while the Imo born former federal lawmaker continues to insist that he remains the national secretary of the opposition party, the PDP Governors Forum, at a recent meeting, 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.

The South East PDP, based on the directive of the NWC, renominated Ude-Okoye as its choice for Anyanwu’s replacement. Prior to the 99th NEC meeting, a panel headed by the Taraba governor, Kefas Agbu, to interface with INEC, reported to the party’s National Caucus that Anyanwu is recognised by the electoral body as national secretary.

Meanwhile, a group of PDP stakeholders have appealed to the South East chapter, as well as the various organs of the party, to quickly resolve the crisis over the national secretary position. The group, under the aegis of PDP Concerned Stakeholders (PCS), in a statement by its convener, Aminu Das Sadiq, said the crisis in the South East chapter, over the move to oust Senator Anyanwu as national secretary, is impacting negatively on the opposition party.

Consequently, Sadiq appealed to the PDP Governors Forum, the National Executive Committee (NEC) and Board of Trustees (BoT) to intervene in the crisis, so that the Imo born former federal lawmaker would be allowed to serve out his term, which is billed to expire in December 2025.

He said: “We find it deeply troubling that almost a year after the crisis surrounding the position of the National Secretary first erupted within our ranks, the matter has not only remained unresolved, but has deteriorated alarmingly. What was once a resolvable internal disagreement has now snowballed into a festering wound in the heart of the PDP — a party that once symbolised unity, inclusiveness, and rule of law in Nigeria’s political landscape.

“Senator Samuel Anyanwu is not just a party loyalist with a distinguished record; he is the constitutionally and judicially affirmed National Secretary of the PDP. The Supreme Court of Nigeria, on March 21, put an end to months of litigation and unequivocally validated his position.”

He added that “the implications of this internal feud are already manifesting. The South-East Zonal Caucus is divided. The NWC is in turmoil. The NEC and BoT are no longer speaking in one voice. Even the PDP Governors Forum, once a symbol of cohesion, is being pulled in opposite directions. This is a tragedy we cannot afford, especially when unity and purpose are more critical than ever.

“Senator Samuel Anyanwu has less than six months left to serve as national secretary. It is both politically unwise and morally indefensible to continue this witch-hunt and internal sabotage when he is already on the home stretch of his tenure.”