The leadership crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has taken a new turn, as the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) meets today (Wednesday) following a failed meeting with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and PDP governors.
A trusted source told The PUNCH that the NWC is holding the emergency meeting to decide on the next steps after INEC refused to recognise any single person as the party’s national secretary.
The crisis centres on a leadership battle between Sunday Udeh-Okoye and Samuel Anyanwu over the position of National Secretary. Anyanwu is believed to have strong backing from the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. The disagreement has led to confusion and delays in the party’s key meetings.
INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, told the PDP team during Tuesday’s meeting in Abuja that the commission had received conflicting letters about who holds the position.
“At different times, your party told us the secretary was Udeh-Okoye, then Anyanwu, then Setonji Koshoedo, and then again Anyanwu. Now, the latest letter has no secretary’s signature at all,” Yakubu said.
He stressed that the commission could not monitor the PDP’s planned 100th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting because the invitation letter was not signed by both the national chairman and secretary, as required by the rules.
Acting PDP National Chairman, Umar Damagum, who led the PDP delegation to INEC, said after the two-hour meeting, “It was a fruitful discussion. We will go back and meet with our larger stakeholders and come out with a position.”
INEC advised the party to resolve its internal issues by following its constitution and court judgments.
But the meeting ended in a stalemate, as no agreement was reached. According to a PDP leader who attended the session, “INEC did not say who it recognises as secretary. They told us to sort it out ourselves.”
The party’s troubles didn’t end there. Damagum’s recent statement distancing the party from comments made by PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, has caused more internal backlash. Ologunagba had told reporters that INEC had no power to interfere with the party’s internal meetings like NEC or NWC sessions.
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“INEC has no role in our regular meetings. These are internal party matters,” Ologunagba said on Sunday.
However, Damagum later dismissed those comments as personal, premature, and made without proper consultation. His remarks drew criticism from former PDP National Publicity Secretaries, Olisa Metuh and Kola Ologbondiyan.
Metuh, writing on Facebook, said, “This is an act capable of bringing the party into great disrepute. It’s a serious violation of the party’s constitution.”
He added, “How can the press and public continue to believe statements from our National Publicity Secretary when the acting chairman disowns them?”
Ologbondiyan also condemned Damagum’s reaction, saying it was “completely unacceptable and a major affront to the authority of NEC, the NWC and the sensibility of all PDP members.”
He accused Damagum of trying to reverse a unanimous NEC decision to hold the 100th meeting on June 30.
Party leaders, including Governors Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), and Caleb Muftwang (Plateau), attended the INEC meeting. Other top PDP figures such as Bukola Saraki, Ahmed Makarfi, Ben Obi, Seriake Dickson, Abba Morro, and Umar Bature were also present.
After the INEC meeting, the leaders reportedly moved to Bauchi Governor’s Lodge in Abuja for more talks, while the NWC is expected to take a final position after their meeting today.
The PDP has been facing internal battles since it lost power in 2015, struggling with leadership issues, defections, and unresolved disputes in key party zones.