Tensions escalated into a physical altercation at the national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during a meeting of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) on Wednesday.
The clash arose over the presence of two claimants to the position of national secretary, Senator Sam Anyanwu and Sunday Ude-Okoye.
The confrontation began shortly after the meeting’s opening ceremony when an aide to Anyanwu confronted Ude-Okoye, forcibly ejecting him from the hall.
The aide slapped the Appeal Court-declared national security and pushed him out of the entrance.
Attempts by Ude-Okoye to re-enter sparked a fight, with BoT Chairman and former Senate President Adolphus Wabara stepping in to restore order but struggling to do so.
The situation intensified when individuals believed to be supporters of Ude-Okoye responded, forcing the gate open in an attempt to shepherd back inside the hall.
A massive security team, comprising police and soldiers were later invited to the party secretariat to maintain order.
The team took over the premises and ordered everyone including the media out of sight.
Wednesday’s clash underscores ongoing tensions within the PDP as the party grapples with internal disputes over key leadership positions.
The PDP acting National Chairman, Ambassador Iliya Damagum, in his opening speech at the meeting, blamed unnamed party leaders for fueling the crisis within the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).
Damagum accused some leaders of interfering in the party’s internal affairs by contacting other NWC members directly, even in his presence.
He expressed frustration over the actions of these leaders, noting that they would not tolerate such behaviour if they were in his position as the head of the party.
However, Damagum downplayed the situation, describing the crisis as part of the usual challenges in political organizations and assuring that it would soon be resolved.
The party boss urged party leaders with personal ambitions to exercise caution, warning that such ambitions should not undermine the PDP, which he described as their only viable political platform.
He also assured the BoT that the NWC is working diligently to ensure the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting scheduled for February takes place as planned.
Damagum stated: “I want to use this opportunity to assure the BoT, just like the Chairman has reiterated, though we have a little crisis within the NWC.
“I want to say this with the highest sense of responsibility, part of this crisis that you see today within the NWC, is propelled by our leaders that are supposed to unite us.
“It’s very unfortunate, I would say it the way it is, where people are called, we all know the working of NWC, some of you here have been NWC members…I’ll be sitting down at the chairman only to see my members called by certain leaders to visit certain places, without my knowledge.
“Each one of you, if you are the chairman, will find it difficult. And I want to use this opportunity to caution us, caution our leaders.
You may have ambition, but you don’t ride on a dead horse to reach your destination.
“If you create crisis simply to further your ambition, you may get what you want, but you your dream will not be realized, because by that time, you have injured the horse you are going to ride to that destination.
“And as the conscience of this party, some of us are also complicit. We should look inwards, search our conscience. This party is dear to all of us, it is the only thing we have. The hope of Nigerians today is on this party. So, we should sheath our swords, work towards uniting ourselves so that we’ll have a credible vehicle that can challenge what is bedeviling us
“At the last meeting we had with the governor, we all agree we’ll have NEC. I want to assure you that we’ll do everything possible to have this NEC in this February. You are all aware we’ve started the process of zonal congresses.”
Damagum’s reassurance on the NEC followed a call by the BoT Chairman and former Senate President, Adolphus Wabara, who emphasised the importance of holding the NEC meeting as scheduled.
This call was prompted by concerns over the lack of visible preparations for the meeting.
Wabara, while giving his opening remarks called on the NWC to honour its commitment and convene the party’s NEC meeting scheduled for February 2025.
Wabara emphasised the urgency of holding the NEC meeting to address the growing leadership crises within the party.
He expressed disappointment over the unresolved conflicts rocking the NWC, warning that the party’s strength and credibility were at stake.
“The failure to resolve these internal conflicts undermines the strength and credibility of our party. It is therefore imperative that the NWC rises above personal interests and places the survival and progress of our great party above all other considerations,” Wabara said.
Highlighting the NEC’s role as the party’s highest decision-making body, Wabara noted that the meeting would serve as a platform to reaffirm the unity, discipline, and ideals of the PDP, while addressing pressing concerns threatening the party’s cohesion.
The BoT chairman also urged party leaders to ensure that the forthcoming Zonal Congresses produce credible leaders capable of steering the PDP effectively.
He called for transparency, fairness, and a reflection of the collective will of members in the electoral processes.
Despite the challenges, Wabara reassured party members of the PDP’s position as a beacon of hope for Nigerians.
He accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of poor governance, urging PDP leaders to rebuild trust and present a credible alternative to Nigerians.
“This party has weathered storms before, and I have no doubt that we will emerge stronger, more united, and ready to fulfil our historic mission of leading Nigeria to a brighter future,” he stated.
The leadership crisis continues to linger as Ude-Okoye and Anyanwu continue to assert their claims to the office of national secretary.
The standoff has already divided members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) and the BoT.
Ude-Okoye, who was declared the substantive National Secretary by the Court of Appeal sitting in Enugu, has reportedly gained the support of some NWC members and BoT leaders.
However, Anyanwu insists that he remains the legitimate officeholder, citing his appeal of the court ruling to the Supreme Court and a stay of execution as grounds for maintaining the status quo.
“I’m still the National Secretary. The status quo remains because I’m on appeal,” Anyanwu told Tribune Online on Wednesday.
He added that Ude-Okoye, despite the court ruling, has no authority to assume the position.
“He’s educated enough to know that cannot be the case,” he said.
The Court of Appeal had ruled in favour of Ude-Okoye, affirming his nomination by the South East Zone of the PDP as Anyanwu’s replacement. The court’s decision followed Anyanwu’s initial resignation from the position to contest the Imo State governorship election.
After his defeat in the election, Anyanwu returned to reclaim the National Secretary post, arguing that there was no vacancy.
Ude-Okoye, however, maintains that his nomination and the subsequent court judgment affirm his legitimacy.
The conflict raises critical questions about the PDP’s internal governance and adherence to its constitution. Anyanwu has consistently argued that the Court of Appeal overstepped by interfering in what he considers internal party matters.
He asserts that Ude-Okoye failed to exhaust internal dispute resolution mechanisms before turning to the judiciary, a violation of the party’s constitutional processes.
Also, Anyanwu avers that leadership matters within a political party are not justiciable and questions the jurisdiction of the courts in this matter.
However, PDP National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba had stated that the party will abide by the rule of law.
He confirmed receipt of the Appeal Court judgment on December 24, 2024, affirming Ude-Okoye as National Secretary.
“We are a rule-of-law-compliant party. We believe in the finality of the judicial process. We’ve always respected judicial pronouncements, and we will always abide by this culture,” Ologunagba had said.
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