The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is once again teetering on the edge of a full-blown internal crisis, as key members of its National Working Committee (NWC) have rejected the decision by Acting National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum, to reinstate Senator Samuel Anyanwu as National Secretary. The development has exposed widening cracks within the party’s hierarchy and cast fresh doubts on its readiness for the 2027 general elections.
Damagum’s move, made public on Wednesday, followed pressure from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which reportedly demanded compliance with a recent Supreme Court ruling affirming Anyanwu as the authentic national secretary. But what was intended as a stabilizing act may have instead deepened the party’s fractures.
A Return and a Rejection
According to Damagum, the decision to recall Anyanwu was made after “extensive consultations” with party stakeholders, including PDP governors, the Board of Trustees (BoT), and the National Assembly caucus. He emphasized that the party’s survival and unity ahead of the imminent FCT area council elections were at stake.
“INEC is our regulator,” Damagum said. “They’ve made it clear who the recognised signatory of the party is. In light of the Supreme Court ruling, we have decided to reinstate Senator Samuel Anyanwu.”
But in a swift counter, a group of NWC heavyweights rejected the decision. In a strongly worded statement, they accused Damagum of attempting to override a standing resolution of the party’s 99th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, which had deferred the matter of the national secretary to the next NEC session scheduled for June 30.
The dissenting NWC members—including Deputy National Chairman (South) Taofeek Arapaja, National Treasurer Ahmed Yayari, and National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba—declared that Damagum’s actions were unconstitutional and lacking legitimacy.
“The pronouncement has no foundation,” their statement read. “Only NEC can resolve the matter of the national secretary, and no organ or officer of the party can overrule NEC decisions under the PDP constitution.”
They further asserted that the June 30 NEC meeting, billed as the 100th, remains on course and has not been cancelled as claimed by Damagum.
Wike Intervenes: “Damagum Has No Such Power”
FCT Minister and influential PDP powerbroker, Nyesom Wike, didn’t hold back in his criticism of the development. Speaking at a public event in Abuja, Wike said Damagum lacked the authority to instruct Anyanwu to resume duties, insisting that Anyanwu never stopped working in the first place.
“The national secretary is not your appointee,” Wike told Damagum. “You cannot direct him to resume. He doesn’t need your approval to work. This is the result of ignorance of the party’s constitution.”
He also blasted party leaders for seeking direction from INEC on how to obey a Supreme Court judgment. “Why go to INEC to understand a Supreme Court ruling? It’s an embarrassment. We are shooting ourselves in the foot,” he said.
Deputies Support Damagum, Call for Reconciliation
In a separate twist, deputy members of the NWC voiced support for Damagum’s action, describing it as lawful and necessary. In a statement signed by Deputy National Youth Leader Timothy Osadolor and others, the deputies urged party stakeholders to prioritize unity over conflict.
“We commend Damagum and the NWC for adhering to judicial rulings. It shows the PDP remains a law-abiding party,” they said. “We call on all aggrieved factions to come together on June 30 and resolve this impasse as one family.”
They praised the efforts of top party figures, including Senator Bukola Saraki and Governor Bala Mohammed, for working behind the scenes to steady the party in the face of rising tensions.
Constitutional Clarity: Only NEC Can Decide—Bode George
Former PDP Deputy National Chairman, Chief Bode George, offered a nuanced view. While acknowledging INEC’s regulatory concerns about conflicting communications from the party, he stressed that only NEC has the power to decide on the status of high-ranking officers like the national secretary.
“The Supreme Court has ruled. But to effect Anyanwu’s removal or retention, NEC must meet and decide,” George said. “That process has not happened yet.”
George also noted that INEC is frustrated by multiple letters from the PDP bearing different signatures—one from Anyanwu, another from Ude-Okoye. “INEC told us clearly: to clean this up, you must go through the proper channels,” he explained.
A House in Disarray: Akpabio and Shehu Sani Take Aim
Outside the PDP, the ruling APC is observing the unfolding drama with a mix of amusement and strategic interest. Senate President Godswill Akpabio, representing President Bola Tinubu at a public function, openly mocked the opposition’s instability.
“President Tinubu is disappointed,” Akpabio said. “He wants a vibrant opposition to keep democracy alive. But what we’re seeing in PDP and Labour is a comedy of errors.”
Former Senator Shehu Sani echoed the sentiment, calling the opposition’s habit of blaming Tinubu for its internal problems “irresponsible.”
“If your party is collapsing and you blame the president, you’re just unserious,” he said during an appearance on Channels TV. “You can’t expect your opponent to fix the gun you want to shoot him with.”
The Bigger Picture: PDP’s Battle for Relevance
The battle over the secretary position is a symptom of deeper dysfunctions within the PDP—personal rivalries, regional power struggles, and lingering fallouts from the 2023 elections. Anyanwu’s fate, while seemingly administrative, has become a proxy war for control of the party ahead of its next convention and the 2027 elections.
With the party already bleeding support to defections, the latest crisis could push it closer to collapse unless decisive action is taken to restore internal democracy and discipline.
All eyes now turn to June 30, when the expanded caucus and NEC meetings could either unite the fractured party or deepen its divisions irreparably.
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