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• Says it is a bitter pill
From Ndubuisi Orji,Abuja
Amid rising tension in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the party yesterday reinstated Senator Samuel Anyanwu as its national secretary.
The acting national chairman, Umar Damagum, who spoke during a press briefing at the PDP National Secretariat, Wadata Plaza, in Abuja, said the reinstatement of Anyanwu as party scribe was a bitter pill.
Damagum also announced the postponement of the 100th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the party earlier scheduled for June 30.
The PDP leaders present at the press briefing, which is coming on the heels of the party’s Tuesday’s parley with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the controversy over who is the authentic national secretary of the party, included Chairman, PDP Governors’ Forum and Bauchi Governor, Bala Mohammed and former Senate President, Bukola Saraki.
Others are the secretary of the Board of Trustees (BoT), Ahmed Makarfi, Senate Minority Leader, Abba Moro, former Bayelsa Governor, Serieke Dickson and House of Representatives Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda among others.
The crisis over who is the authentic national secretary of the PDP heightened after a 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 national secretary.
Ude-Okoye was nominated by the South East PDP, in 2023, to replace Anyanwu as national secretary, after the latter emerged as candidate in the last Imo State governorship election.
The nomination of the former national youth leader became a subject of litigation with an Enugu High Court affirming his nomination and mandating the PDP’s National Working Committee (NWC) to swear him in.
In the aftermath of the Court of Appeal judgment, different organs of the party, including the BoT, the Governors’ Forum, and the NWC recognised Ude-Okoye as the party’s scribe.
Anyanwu, dissatisfied with the judgment of the Court of Appeal, approached the Supreme Court. The apex court in its judgment overturned the majority judgment and upheld the minority judgment which stated that the issue was an internal affairs of the PDP.
Following the Supreme Court judgment, 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 NWC later ratified the proposal of the governors, following which the South East PDP, re-nominated Ude-Okoye as its choice for Anyanwu’s replacement.
The South East PDP, at the party’s 99th NEC, held on May 27, presented its resolution nominating Ude-Okoye as Anyanwu’s replacement to the party’s organ. However, the consideration of the South East PDP’s resolution was deferred to June 30.
The NEC also mandated the party leadership to notify INEC of its 100th NEC. Consequently, Damagum in a letter on May 30, to the electoral body, informed it of the party’s 100th NEC meeting.
INEC, in a letter by its acting secretary, Haliru Aminu, to the PDP, rejected the correspondence on the 100th NEC, stating that it violated extant rules, which requires the national chairman and national secretary of political parties to sign letters informing the commission about their meetings.
The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, at a press briefing on Sunday, said the electoral body was not in a position to dictate to the PDP on who should sign its correspondence. Ologunagba accused INEC of allegedly working with the All Progressives Congress (APC) to stifle the opposition party.
However, Damagum, on Monday said Ologunagba did not have the approval of the NWC to speak on the issue, noting that his comments were made prematurely and without due consultation.
On Tuesday, the PDP leaders, consisting of members of the NWC and governors, met with the INEC chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu over the crisis over the national secretary’s position.
Damagum told journalists that the decision to reinstate Anyanwu as national secretary was a fall out of the PDP leaders’ parley with the electoral commission.
According to him, following opposition leaders’ meeting with the INEC leadership, the PDP met with its governors, the BoT and its caucus in the National Assembly and resolved that Anyanwu should be reinstated as national secretary.
The PDP chairman implored party members to understand that the reinstatement of the Imo-born former Senator as party scribe was a difficult decision that was necessary for the survival of the party.
“We had an extensive meeting and critical issues were discussed. We know where our problem is. INEC is our regulator and they have told us their position as it affects the issue surrounding the national secretary. We are all aware that the national secretary is a signatory of this party. It is a critical position that he holds.“As such, we have decided to abide by the advice they gave us, especially as we have a very important election before us, that is the FCT election and we are running out of time.
So, we have no option but to abide by the decision.
“After due consultation and everything, we thought it is a bitter pill, which we have to swallow. I want to use this opportunity to call on all our party faithful to know that it was a difficult decision. But, the survival of the party is more than all of us, more than everything that you feel that you know and yearn for.
“So, I want to use this opportunity to tell you that we will do the right thing and it is the decision of most members of this party led by the organs of the party. The leaders of the organs of the party will have an expanded caucus, so that we will discuss extensively the way forward to NEC. That would be on June 30, we will issue the notice. There is not going to be NEC, but an expanded caucus.
“As it is, like they told us, they don’t have any notice of NEC meeting from us because I was the only person that signed, and we have not followed the guidelines. So, that (national) caucus will take a decision for NEC as well as all critical issues brought before us and leading to our national convention. Anyanwu will resume as the National Secretary. I think that is the most important thing.”
Meanwhile, nine members of the PDP NWC faulted claims by Damagum that Ologunagba did not have the approval of the party organ to speak on INEC correspondence rejecting the party’s letter on its 100th NEC meeting.
The NWC members included Taofeek Arapaja, Deputy National Chairman (South); Setonji Koshoedo, Deputy National Secretary; Okechukwu Obiechina-Daniel, National Auditor and Ologunagba.
Others are Woyengikuro Daniel, National Financial Secretary; Chief Ali Odefa, National Vice Chairman (South East); Emmanuel Ogidi, Caretaker Committee Chairman (South-South); Mrs. Amina Darasimi D. Bryhm, National Woman Leader and Ajisafe Kamoru Toyese, National Vice Chairman (South West).
According to them, “It is important to clarify that the comments made by the National Publicity Secretary at that media session with regard to the scheduled 100th NEC meeting is the position of the party and he has the authority and backing of the NWC.
“The scheduling of the 100th NEC meeting on Monday, June 30, is the unanimous decision reached by NEC at its 99th meeting held on Tuesday, May 27 which was clearly stated in the communique publicly read by the acting national chairman.
“The NWC, and indeed, all other organs, officers, chapters and bodies of the PDP are bound by the decision of NEC, which is to hold its 100th meeting on Monday, June 30.”
