The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is facing deepening internal strife as key figures challenge the authority of party leadership.
In Abuja on Thursday, the embattled National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, defied directives from governors, the Board of Trustees, and the National Working Committee to vacate his position, for Sunday Ude-Okoye.
In the South-South, the Zonal Secretary of the party, Chief Felix Omemu, rejected a planned zonal executive meeting in Edo State, called by Chief Dan Orbih.
Orbih, alongside some other aggrieved leaders of the party in Edo State, had worked for the victory of Governor Monday Okpebholo, dumping the party’s candidate in the election, Asue Ighodalo.
The party leaders are expected to be in Benin City, the Edo State capital, on Saturday, February 15, for a meeting of the PDP South-South Zonal Executive Committee, but Omemu said the proposed meeting was illegal.
Anyanwu resumed at the PDP National Secretariat at the Wadata Plaza, Abuja, and continued his duties.
In a video call with the spokesman of the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Lere Olayinka, he said, “As you can see, I’m in my office. These are my people and we are working.”
Olayinka posted the video on his verified X handle @OlayinkaLere, around noon on Thursday.
The embattled secretary, showing Olayinka his office during the call, said: “You can see them jumping over the fence, that was how I stayed in my office to catch them through the CCTV.”
The party organs, the BoT, the PDP Governors’ Forum and some members of the NWC backed Ude-Okoye as national secretary.
In the NWC, a section led by the National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, and the National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade, announced that in line with the position of the party’s governors’ forum and the BoT, the NWC had taken steps to recognise Udeh-Okoye as the national secretary.
A report, however, said the acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, did not support the move.
The PDP in Imo State said it backed Anyanwu for the position, as the state leadership of the party, through its publicity secretary, Lancelot Obiaku, said Anyanwu’s position was intact until the apex court ruled otherwise.
“Contrary to Ologunagba’s claims, the NWC neither convened nor resolved to affirm Ude-Okoye as National Secretary or remove Senator Anyanwu.
“The official position of the NWC remains that the status quo is maintained, meaning Anyanwu continues in his position unless the Supreme Court rules otherwise, as the matter is already before the apex court. Any action to the contrary would be sub judice,” the release hinted.
As the crisis continues, the South-South Zonal Secretary of the PDP, Chief Omemu, warned leaders of the party to stay away from the zone.
In a statement issued in Yenagoa, Omemu said by the constitution of the party, such a meeting could only be convened with the approval of the Zonal Working Committee.
He stated the committee did not meet at any time to deliberate and agree to hold such a meeting and, therefore, the meeting called by Chief Dan Orbih was illegal.
The statement read: “In line with Section 26(2C) of our party’s constitution as amended in 2017, there was no such a time that the Zonal Working Committee meeting, being a precursor to the Zonal Executive Committee, agreed on any reports to be discussed at the Saturday’s scheduled meeting.
“As the Zonal Secretary of the party, I am, therefore, not aware of such a meeting that purportedly resolved that ZWC could go ahead to convene the highest meeting of the party leaders in the zone and so, I wish to distance myself from such an illegal ZEC meeting and gathering being called by Chief Dan Orbih.”
While insisting that the ZEC meeting being called by Orbih was illegal, the zonal secretary urged PDP leaders in the zone to stay away from the meeting as it was being convened to further harm the interest of the party.
“I also wish to call on my colleagues in the zone to boycott Saturday’s meeting whose agenda remains suspicious and may not likely serve the general interest of the party.
“It is clear that the majority of the leaders of the party in the zone were not duly consulted before calling for the meeting.
“By this statement, I am placing on alert the key PDP leaders in the South-South zone, including our governors, former governors on the platform of the PDP, members of the National Assembly from the zone, principal officers of the state houses of assembly from the zone, members of the National Working Committee from the zone and also state chairmen of our party from the zone.
“I urge the leaders of the party in the zone to call Chief Orbih to order, a move to avoid any untoward consequences of allowing an illegal meeting to be held in the zone.”
