PDP Crisis Deepens as Factions Clash Over NEC Meeting and National Secretary Position

Tensions have escalated within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as internal factions prepare for a major confrontation over the disputed 100th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting and the reinstatement of Senator Samuel Anyanwu as National Secretary.

Rival camps within the party have scheduled parallel meetings for today in Abuja, with one group insisting on holding the NEC session as originally planned, while another backs an alternative expanded National Caucus gathering.

Power Struggle at the Top

Key figures in the conflict include Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, who leads a bloc of governors and party officials pushing for the NEC meeting to proceed as scheduled. This group also opposes Anyanwu’s return as National Secretary, backing Setonji Koshoedo to remain in an acting capacity.

On the opposing side is a camp aligned with former Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike, which includes governors from Plateau, Taraba, Adamawa, and Bauchi States. This faction supports acting National Chairman Umar Damagum and is calling for the NEC meeting to be postponed while affirming Anyanwu’s return to office.

INEC’s Role and Legal Concerns

The crisis intensified after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declined to recognize a notice of the NEC meeting signed solely by Damagum. INEC emphasized that both the National Chairman and Secretary must jointly sign such communications, in accordance with the party’s constitution.

Meanwhile, 11 out of 18 National Working Committee (NWC) members rejected the move to reinstate Anyanwu, insisting that the NEC meeting must go on as resolved at the 99th NEC held in May.

Conflicting Invitations and Meetings

While Damagum and his allies push for an expanded caucus meeting, scheduled for June 30 and by invitation only, Makinde’s group maintains that only a proper NEC meeting, as stipulated by the party’s constitution, can address the leadership crisis.

The South East zone, which is seeking to retain the National Secretary position, has issued a warning that the zone could reconsider its commitment to the PDP if their demands are ignored.

Voices from Within

Party elders like former PDP Chairman Olabode George and Enugu Governor Peter Mbah have urged unity and called for an honest discussion to resolve the crisis. George insisted that the scheduled gathering—whatever its label—should be used to “tell ourselves the truth.”

Similarly, former PDP National Publicity Secretary Kola Ologbondiyan emphasized the binding nature of the NEC’s previous decision, stressing that party leadership should not flout resolutions made by its highest decision-making organ outside of the convention.

APC Reacts

In response, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) mocked the PDP’s internal strife, describing it as proof that the opposition party is no longer fit to govern. APC spokesman Bala Ibrahim claimed the PDP’s current troubles reflect its inability to manage its own affairs, let alone the nation’s.