“PDP Crisis Deepens as Court Ruling on National Secretary Sparks Tensions”
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees (BoT) has established a committee led by Tanimu Turaki, a former Minister under President Goodluck Jonathan, to address the ongoing crisis over the position of National Secretary. The committee has been tasked with engaging the parties involved in the dispute and reporting back with recommendations as soon as possible.
In a statement delivered to journalists at the party secretariat, Adolphus Wabara, a former Senate President, assured the public that the crisis would be resolved. He also revealed that the Acting National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum, had promised that the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting would be convened in February to settle the matter.
The National Secretary position has been a point of contention since former National Secretary Anyanwu vacated the role to contest the Imo governorship election, which he ultimately lost. In his absence, the South East Caucus of the party endorsed Ude-Okoye as his replacement. However, Anyanwu’s efforts to reclaim the position sparked further internal conflict.
On December 20, 2024, an Appeal Court in Enugu upheld a High Court decision that removed Anyanwu as the PDP National Secretary and confirmed Ude-Okoye as the legitimate officeholder. Despite this, Anyanwu has filed for a Stay of Execution and an Appeal, with Dr. Musa (SAN) representing the party in legal proceedings, adding complexity to the situation.
The tensions escalated further on Wednesday when police officers took over the PDP secretariat after suspected loyalists of Anyanwu forcibly ejected Ude-Okoye from a Board of Trustees meeting, further fueling the ongoing crisis within the party.
