PDP Crisis Deepens As Party Gets Two National Secretaries
2 years ago 2 min read
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The leadership crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has escalated as two national officers lay claim to the National Secretary.
This followed last week’s ruling of the Enugu Division of the Court of Appeal which affirmed the removal from office of Senator Samuel Anyanwu as National Secretary.
The appellate court, in its lead judgement, delivered by Justice Ridwan Abdullahi declared Mr Ude Okoye as the PDP National Secretary.
The PDP stakeholders in the Southeast had, in 2023, chosen Okoye to replace Anyanwu when the latter vacated his seat and contested as the PDP candidate in the November 2023 Imo State governorship election.
Anyanwu however lost the election to the incumbent Imo State governor, Hope Uzodinma of the All Progressives Congress (APC), following which he came back to resume office as National Secretary.
The Court of Appeal ruling only affirmed a previous ruling of a Federal High Court which had earlier ruled in favour of Okoye.
Ude Okoye was the PDP Deputy National Youth Leader before he was picked for National Secretary by the party’s Southeast stakeholders.
However, Anyanwu has vowed to retain his seats despite the Appeal Court ruling, development that could worsen the existing leadership crisis in the main opposition party.
The ruling has split the power blocks in the party, including the National Working Committee (NWC) into two opposing camps, with one camp supporting Okoye while the other is backing Anyanwu.
Members of the pro Anyanwu camp in the NWC include the Acting National Chairman, Amb. Umar Damagum and the National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature.
Damagum, Bature and Anyanwu are loyalists of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike. The three national officers have acting as Wike’s ears, eyes and voice in the PDP.
Anyanwu, who insists on retaining his seat as National Secretary against the appellate court’s ruling, said at the weekend that he would be appealing the ruling at the Supreme Court.
Okoye, on the other hand has declared himself the substantive National Assembly on the strength of the appellate court’s ruling.
Legal experts have warned the leadership of the party against acting in ways that could render certain functions of the party illegal if Anyanwu continued to perform the roles of National Secretary.
The party’s NWC is currently observing its end of the year break. Activities will resume fully after the holidays.
