PDP in Fresh Crisis as Pro-Wike Nat’l Secretary, Anyanwu Refuses to Vacate Seat

By Reporter

The ongoing leadership crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has further degenerated with different divides fighting over the National Secretary position which has been decided by the court.

The latest fight came after a recent ruling by the Court of Appeal in Enugu, which upheld an earlier Federal High Court decision that sacked Senator Samuel Anyanwu as the National Secretary of the troubled party and declared Mr. Ude Okoye as the substantive Secretary of the party.

The fight started in 2023 when Anyanwu vacated his position to contest for the Imo governorship position.

His plan to return as Secretary after losing the election to Governor Hope Uzodinma of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was resisted by the Southeast PDP stakeholders who selected Ude Okoye as his replacement.

Last week’s appellate court judgement, delivered by Justice Ridwan Abdullahi, confirmed Okoye as the legitimate PDP National Secretary.

Anyanwu has however, refused to vacate the position. His refusal has heightened tensions within the already broken party and split further, its leadership into yet opposing factions.

One group of the National Working Committee (NWC) is supporting Okoye, while the group backing Anyanwu is led by the Acting National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum, and the National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature.

They are alleged to be loyal to Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Stakeholders are worried that if Anyanwu is allowed to function as National Secretary with the Appeal Court decision, the party may face legal challenges in the future that will disenfranchise the party in future elections.

On the strength of his victory at the court, Ude Okoye has declared himself the rightful National Secretary the party.

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