Wike’s camp dismisses Atiku coalition woos PDP leaders.
Senator Samuel Anyanwu, the recently reinstated National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party and an ally of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, has called for party unity, claiming that the PDP’s internal crisis is over.
Anyanwu asked party members to focus on developing the PDP, and he advised those now engaging in coalition talks for the 2027 elections to review their actions and work together to rebuild and strengthen it.
Anyanwu’s demand follows the announcement last week of a coalition of 2023 presidential contenders, including PDP’s Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s Peter Obi, and former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, to challenge President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
Anyanwu, who claimed to be uninformed of the Atiku-led coalition, urged PDP members to remain loyal to the party.
According to him, the PDP remains a strong party at all levels, despite the internal conflicts that occurred before and after the 2023 elections, causing instability and split within the party.
Acting National Chairman Umar Damagum has faced criticism, particularly since he succeeded Iyorchia Ayu.
Tensions over the National Secretary job rose when the South-East nominated Sunday Ude-Okoye, a former National Youth Leader, to succeed Anyanwu, who had been nominated for the Imo governorship in 2023.
The matter reached the courts in December 2024, and the Appeal Court in Enugu ruled in favour of Ude-Okoye as PDP National Secretary. However, after months of party discontent, the Supreme Court reversed the Appeal Court verdict on Friday, restoring Anyanwu as the party’s secretary.
In a majority decision, the Supreme Court declared that concerns concerning the leadership or membership of a political party are internal and should not be handled by the courts.
Following the result, the PDP’s National Working Committee issued a statement confirming that the Supreme Court decision overturned Ude-Okoye’s appointment and that the party must handle leadership concerns within.
Anyanwu responded to the ruling with relief, noting that the Supreme Court’s decision had resolved the biggest conflict inside the PDP.
He acknowledged the emotional toll the conflict had placed on him, but remained optimistic about going forward.
“I am the National Secretary of the PDP, as appointed by the Supreme Court, the highest court. I have no animosity towards anyone. We only have a few months left, so all we have to do now is work together to reposition the party,” Anyanwu stated.
He went on to say, “Despite being bruised and experiencing a lot of emotional stress, I endured it all. Now is the time to unite and reposition the PDP. We need an urgent NWC conference to confront each other, say the truth, and apologies where needed.”
When asked about the NWC’s position, Anyanwu responded, “The NWC hasn’t met yet, and some members are unavailable. I have restarted, and we shall meet shortly.”
Anyanwu further reiterated that the PDP is not part of any coalition and advised anyone advocating for a coalition to remove President Bola Tinubu to instead join the PDP.
“The PDP is not a member of any coalition and has not been invited to any coalition meetings. In truth, we have not discussed forming a coalition. The PDP remains powerful at the local, ward, and state levels. Those who talk about forming a coalition, in my opinion, should join the Progressive Democrats.
“The crisis is over, so people should join the PDP rather than any coalition,” he said.
When approached, members of the National Executive Committee, who desired anonymity, and PDP Deputy National Youth Leader Timothy Osadolor advocated for NWC reconciliation.
Both highlighted the need for the PDP’s leadership to focus on unity and party strengthening.
One NEC insider stated, “For me, the fight was superfluous in the first place. However, now that the Supreme Court has decided, all well-meaning party leaders, including governors, members of the BoT, and other stakeholders, should unite behind the NWC.
I understand that some members of the NWC are still unhappy, but we must put this quarrel behind us if the party is to survive. “If we continue to fight like this, the party’s image will suffer.”
Osadolor went on to say, “I know that the PDP Governors Forum, the BoT, and the opposition in Nigeria all have different perspectives on what is right and wrong.”
Only God and extraterrestrial beings can completely determine this. They are, to some extent, implicated in these issues. The Supreme Court has decided, and now it is time for all of us in the PDP, regardless of our opinion, to begin healing our divides. I believe we will make decisions.
The path forward is reconciliation, and healing is a necessary component of that.”
Osadolor added, “Going forward, we want the Governors Forum, the BoT, the NWC, and especially Samuel Anyanwu to help resolve any grey areas.
“Now that the situation is clear, nobody should fight it. We can heal and recover. We should not see it as a conflict between the victor and the defeated. We’re all one family, therefore let’s embrace the future and move forward.”