Victor EzejaThe Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has officially reinstated Senator Samuel Anyanwu as its National Secretary following a resolution at its 100th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held on Monday, 30 June 2025, in Abuja.
The party’s Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, made this known after the NEC meeting.
Join our WhatsApp Channel“We’ve all combined in one, we were all together, and we all agree that Senator Anyanwu will continue to act as National Secretary,” Damagum told newsmen after their meeting on Monday.
Earlier, officers of the Nigeria Police Force had barred entrance to Wadata Plaza, the PDP national secretariat, acting on orders from above.
The opposition party had been ravaged by internal crisis since the 2023 general election, leading to the formation of factions.
The crux of the matter was the position of the national secretary.
The crisis further escalated after the party leadership wrote to the Independent National Electoral Commission on 24 June notifying the electoral body of its NEC meeting, but the invitation was turned down.
On Tuesday, the PDP leadership met with INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu, who explained why the commission cannot honour the invitation for the planned NEC meeting.
INEC had declined the PDP’s invitation to the 100th NEC meeting, stating that the dispute over the position of national secretary had resulted in inconsistent signatures, which violates the electoral body’s rules for political parties.
A court ruling in December 2024 initially favored Sunday Udeh-Okoye as secretary, but Anyanwu secured injunctions to retain the position, leading to prolonged legal and factional battles
On one hand, there is a faction that was formed by governors Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Ademola Adeleke (Osun), Peter Mbah (Enugu), Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), Douye Diri (Bayelsa),11 NWC members, and other important party leaders pushing for the NEC meeting to hold and opposing the return of Anyanwu.
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The other camp, led by FCT Minister and former Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, supported by Governors Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Kefas Agbu (Taraba), Caleb Muftwang (Plateau), and Adamu Fintiri (Adamawa), as well as Damagum, National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature; and National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade, wanted the reinstatement of Anywanwu.
The resolution of the party leaders, as announced by Damagun, has apparently nullified prior factions.
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Damagum stressed that Anyanwu’s reinstatement fulfills regulatory requirements for INEC, paving the way for recognizing their meetings, as both leaders will jointly sign future notices.
He also disclosed that the 101st NEC meeting is scheduled for 23 July 2025 to finalize arrangements for the party’s national convention. The national convention is where a new set of party leaders will be elected.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with seven years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Master's degree in Mass Communication.
