The ongoing crisis within Nigeria’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has taken a dramatic turn, with the party’s National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, standing firm on his position despite a recent endorsement of his rival by the PDP Governors’ Forum. In a telephone interview with Vanguard on Friday, Anyanwu made it clear that the Governors’ Forum does not have the authority to remove him from his role, emphasizing that he remains the legitimate National Secretary of the PDP.
“The PDP Governors’ Forum is not an organ of our party,” Anyanwu declared, dismissing their recent actions as irrelevant to his position. “I’m unperturbed by the communique they issued after their meeting. One fact remains: I’m the National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party,” he added.
The controversy stems from a recent communique issued by the Governors’ Forum, which expressed support for a rival candidate to Anyanwu. However, Anyanwu insists that the forum’s stance holds no weight, calling it just one of several pressure groups within the party.
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“Remember, the Governors’ Forum is one out of several pressure groups in our party. You can see even the communique is adversity. There’s a likelihood that they did what they did to satisfy Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State,” Anyanwu remarked, suggesting that the endorsement may have been influenced by political motives tied to Mbah.
Adding legal weight to his position, Anyanwu referred to an order issued by the Court of Appeal, which granted a stay of execution on a previous judgment that had been made against him. The court’s ruling, according to Anyanwu, remains in his favor, and he intends to comply with it.
“The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and our courts remain supreme in such matters,” Anyanwu stated firmly, pointing out that the court’s current position makes it clear that he is still the valid National Secretary of the PDP.
He also pointed to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), stating that they will not recognize anyone else other than him as the National Secretary of the party. “In case they are not aware, the Independent National Electoral Commission will not recognize any other person besides me as PDP National Secretary,” Anyanwu emphasized.
The standoff between Anyanwu and the PDP Governors’ Forum has brought the crisis within the party into the public eye once again. While the Governors’ Forum wields significant political power within the party, Anyanwu’s defiance highlights the ongoing internal struggle that has plagued the PDP for some time.
As the PDP grapples with this division, it remains to be seen how the party will navigate the crisis and whether a resolution can be reached that satisfies all factions within the group. For now, Anyanwu remains resolute in his position, confident that the court’s ruling and the authority of the INEC will ultimately back his claim as the rightful National Secretary of the PDP.