The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has officially affirmed Samuel Anyanwu as the party’s national secretary, resolving a months-long internal conflict that had threatened the stability of the main opposition party.
Speaking to journalists after the closed-door 100th NEC meeting at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, PDP Acting National Chairman Umar Damagun announced the decision.
He stated that the meeting had a single item on its agenda: to resolve the leadership dispute over the national secretary position following consultations with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“As you can see, we just rose from our 100th NEC meeting. This meeting was a one-agenda meeting, which was to discuss the outcome of our interaction with INEC as regards the national secretary. We’ve all converged, we were all together, and we all agree that Senator Anyanwu will continue to act as national secretary,” he said.
Read Also: Why South East May Leave PDP – Governor Mbah
This decision comes less than a week after PDP leaders met with INEC, whose Chairperson Mahmood Yakubu had raised concerns about conflicting correspondences from the party regarding the rightful national secretary, with submissions listing Sunday Udeh-Okoye, Mr. Anyanwu, and Setonji Koshoedo at different times.
INEC had previously rejected a NEC meeting notice because it was not jointly signed by the national chairperson and secretary, a requirement under the 2022 INEC Regulations.
Following the resolution, Damagun confirmed that the party would now fully comply with INEC’s requirements, including co-signing all future notices. He announced that the next NEC meeting, scheduled for July 23, will be a “proper NEC, where myself and Senator Anyanwu will sign, which is to fulfil the regulatory need of INEC in convening meetings.”
The leadership crisis over the national secretary position began in 2023 when Mr. Anyanwu became the PDP’s governorship candidate in Imo State.
His candidacy sparked an internal debate about whether he could hold both roles. While he insisted on retaining his position, the South-east chapter and some NWC members backed Udeh-Okoye as his replacement.
In December 2024, the Court of Appeal ruled that Anyanwu had vacated his seat and declared Ude-Okoye the rightful secretary, but Anyanwu appealed to the Supreme Court and filed a motion for a stay of execution.
Amid the dispute, the party appointed Mr. Koshoedo as acting national secretary.
This is the second time the PDP has declared Mr. Anyanwu the legitimate national secretary, following an initial reinstatement announcement by Damagun on June 25 that was opposed by some party members.
Damagun also criticized those who predicted the party’s collapse due to the crisis.
“So, to our detractors who thought this meeting would be rancorous and also maybe the end of the party. The beauty of the Peoples Democratic Party is that it is the only party in this country that knows the mechanism to solve its own problem rancour-free,” he stated.
He noted that all governors and NWC members were present and on the same page, signaling an end to the “press releases and counter-press releases.”
Join Informant Online WhatsApp Channel With Link Below: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaihFajBadmT29ufud2
