National secretary: CSO confronts INEC over alleged interference in PDP’s internal affairs

•Demands CTC of INEC advice to PDP

•Insists commission’s interference is contempt of S/Court judgment

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been put on the spot following allegations of interference in the raging battle for the national secretary of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Sunday Tribune gathered at the weekend that while the camps involved in the intense power struggle over the position are digging in, the commission apparently risks contempt of the Supreme Court due to claims of undue meddlesomeness in the internal affairs of the PDP.

Already, a civil society organisation (CSO), Initiative for Ethics and Value Orientation, has written to INEC over its alleged attempt to censor the party on its choice of leadership, despite the judgment of the Supreme Court that the issue of party leadership is strictly the internal affair of political parties.

A copy of the document sighted by the Sunday Tribune signed by the Executive Director of the CSO, Comrade Yinka Sotade, and addressed to the INEC chairman, Professor Yakubu Mahmood, and secretary, Mrs Rose Omoa Oriaran-Anthony, was dated May 16, 2025.

The organisation demanded for a Certify True Copy (CTC) of the reported correspondence from the commission to the PDP wherein INEC allegedly advised that it would not recognise any correspondence signed or co-signed by the acting National Secretary of PDP, Architect Setonji Koshoedo.

This is coming against the backdrop of a report in a national daily (not Tribune) last Tuesday that INEC had advised the leadership of the party that it would not recognise any correspondence from the party except signed by Senator Samuel Anyanwu.

This was in spite of the fact that the commission had been officially informed by the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) of the decision to direct Koshoedo, the Deputy National Secretary, to act as national secretary in consonance with the provisions of PDP Constitution.

The said newspaper report also claimed that on the strength of the supposed advice by INEC, Anyanwu had reassumed duty as national secretary and reportedly signed the nomination forms of the PDP candidate submitted to INEC for the 2026 November governorship election in Anambra State.

However, the PDP spontaneously refuted the purported resumption of office by Anyanwu, reaffirming Koshoedo as its acting national secretary, following the decision of the NWC reportedly duly communicated to INEC.

The PDP, in a statement its national publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, stated that the decision of the NWC was pursuant to the judgment of the Supreme Court, which reaffirmed the supremacy of the party over its internal affairs, including its leadership.

Investigations indicated that the PDP NWC, in an official correspondence with reference number: PDP/DOM/GF.2/VOL. IF/25-061, dated May 05, 2025 and signed by the acting national chairman, Ambassador Iliya Damagum, and the acting national secretary, Architect Koshoedo, conveyed to INEC, the resolution taken at its 600th meeting where party directed the deputy national secretary to act as national secretary in line with Section 36 (2) of the constitution of the party.

Concerned about the reported INEC refusal to honour the resolution of the PDP, the Initiative for Ethics and Value Orientation claimed such disposition by the commission was outside the jurisdiction and competence of INEC.

According to the organisation, the stance of the commission will amount to contempt of the judgment of the Supreme Court on the supremacy of political parties over their internal affairs.

The letter by the CSO stamp-received by the INEC headquarters in Abuja on May 16, 2025 read:

“We hereby formally request a Certify True Copy (CTC) of the official communication from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) written to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in which the commission communicated to the PDP its decision to not treat / give effect to letters from the PDP signed solely or co-signed by the Peoples Democratic Party Acting National Secretary, Hon Setonji Koshoedo.

“The commission may recall that the PDP notified it of the resolution of its National Working Committee (NWC), being the highest operational organ of the party, on its decision directing the Deputy National Secretary (Hon Setonji Koshoedo) to assume office as Acting National Secretary, which is pursuant to the Constitution of the PDP (Copy of the said letter attached).

“The commission may also recall that the Supreme Court held in a long line of cases that the issue of leadership of political parties is an internal (domestic) affair of the party. This position has been reiterated recently in the case of Senator Samuel Anyanwu Vs PDP and Labour Party vs Abure.

“It is therefore worrying that the commission decided not to honour decisions and resolutions reached by political parties on matters pertaining to their internal affairs which is ultra vires the commission.

“Against the backdrop of the foregoing, we therefore, formally request for the Certified True Copy of this letter of the commission notifying the PDP of the commissions’ refusal to treat/give effect to letters of the PDP signed by its Acting National Secretary, Hon Setonji Koshoedo as claimed in the media as coming from the commission chairman, Prof. Yakubu Mahmood.

“We made this application pursuant to the provisions of Section 1 (1) and (2) of the Freedom of Information Act.

“While we await your prompt response, please accept the assurances of our regards.”

Further explaining the rationale behind the organisation’s intervention to Sunday Tribune over the phone, Sotade said the request is part of the CSO’s civic right to ensure that democracy is practised correctly in the country and also to raise the alarm over INEC’s hypocrisy on the matter.

“As a civil society group, we are the watchdog of the society. It is our own responsibility that we are carrying out. There is no emotion attached to it. If people can call INEC out that it is wrong, it is the same move that we will make to ensure there is fairness and that democracy is practised correctly.

“If INEC refuses to do what is needful, we will persistently make the noise needed to get Nigerians to see the hypocrisy of INEC,” he explained.

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When asked what the organisation plans to do should INEC fail to comply with its request, Sotade said: “We may eventually get there (approach the court) if our cries through the conscience of the public fall on the wrong ears of INEC. We can even go to the length of exercising our duties and civic rights under Section 40 to do a protest.

“If we fail to appeal to the conscience of INEC, then we may have to go to the final arbiter to seek redress, even though a lot of the integrity of the court is compromised. The important thing is that we cannot turn the country to a Banana Republic and it is not personal. We just want fairness.”

Meanwhile, Sunday Tribune investigations indicated that INEC may have rebuffed moves by the PDP NWC to replace Senator Anyanwu with Honourable Koshoedo in line with the PDP NWC letter dated May 5, 2025 and addressed to the INEC national chairman, urging the commission to accord recognition to the latter as acting national secretary.

A source within the commission, which acknowledged that INEC was in custody of the letter, however, declared that Senator Anyanwu whose name he noted is on the commission’s website remains the national scribe of the main opposition party.

The source, who pleaded not to be named, noted that the stakeholders in the erstwhile ruling party itching to replace Anyanwu knew the process to follow to pronounce a new national secretary, even in acting capacity.

He said: “Yes, we received correspondence from PDP stating that Koshoedo is now the acting national secretary. The fact that we received such letter does not translate that we will accord Koshoedo recognition.

“The PDP knows what to do. To change a national chairman or secretary, you have to convene your national convention and conduct a proper election that INEC will be there to monitor.

“We don’t want to be dragged into their intractable crisis.”