The Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has constituted a mediation committee led by former Minister Tanimu Turaki to interface with all parties involved in the ongoing crisis surrounding the National Secretary position.
Reading the BoT communiqué to journalists at the PDP secretariat, former Senate President Adolphus Wabara assured that the issue would be resolved soon.
He further disclosed that Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, had assured the BoT that a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting would be convened in February to address the crisis.
“The BoT is committed to ensuring a peaceful resolution. The Acting National Chairman has assured us that the NEC will meet next month to resolve the matter,” Wabara stated.
The PDP National Secretary position has remained a contentious issue since Senator Samuel Anyanwu left to contest the Imo State governorship election, which he lost.
In his absence, the South East Caucus of the PDP endorsed Sunday Ude-Okoye as his replacement.
However, after losing the governorship election, Anyanwu sought to reclaim his seat, plunging the party into deeper crisis.
The matter escalated legally when the Court of Appeal sitting in Enugu upheld an earlier High Court ruling on December 20, 2024, removing Anyanwu as National Secretary and affirming Ude-Okoye as the legitimate officeholder.
However, Anyanwu has since filed for a Stay of Execution and Appeal, with Dr. Musa (SAN) nominated as PDP’s legal counsel by Damagum, further fueling tensions.
Police Take Over PDP Secretariat Amidst Tensions
The crisis took a dramatic turn on Wednesday when suspected loyalists of Anyanwu forcefully ejected Ude-Okoye from a BoT meeting, prompting the police to take control of the PDP secretariat to prevent further chaos.