ABUJA – The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has plunged deeper into crisis as internal divisions have led to the organization of two parallel National Executive Committee (NEC) meetings, reflecting a fierce battle for control within the party. The turmoil has been further compounded by conflicting decisions over the party’s leadership and controversial interpretations of electoral guidelines issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The National Working Committee (NWC), supported by the Board of Trustees (BoT) and key figures like Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State, insists that the 100th NEC meeting must proceed as originally scheduled today, June 30, 2025. However, Senator Samuel Anyanwu—recently reinstated as National Secretary by Acting National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum—has convened a separate, so-called “expanded caucus” meeting, claiming legitimacy over party proceedings.
Governor Mbah, speaking after a closed-door session with top PDP stakeholders including Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, PDP BoT Chairman Senator Adolphus Wabara, and South East Zonal Chairman Chief Ali Odefa, expressed unwavering support for the position of the NWC, BoT, and South East Zonal Executive Committee (ZEC). Mbah condemned the ongoing party power tussles and reiterated the zone’s earlier warning to reconsider its membership in the PDP should its stance on the National Secretary position be disregarded.
Tensions escalated last week when Damagum postponed the NEC meeting and reinstated Anyanwu as National Secretary, moves rejected outright by 11 members of the NWC and the BoT. They argue that the NEC’s authority, as outlined in the PDP Constitution, remains supreme and cannot be overruled by individual decisions.
Adding to the controversy, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had initially rejected the PDP’s NEC meeting notice due to its lack of the required co-signature from the National Secretary. This procedural non-compliance was cited under the electoral body’s 2022 Regulations. However, PDP National Financial Secretary, Daniel Woyengikuro, disputed the legitimacy of INEC’s stance, asserting that it was based on misinformation and manipulation by internal actors seeking to hijack the party structure.
Woyengikuro clarified in an interview with Vanguard that the 100th NEC meeting is not a new session but a continuation of an earlier adjourned sitting and must go forward uninterrupted. He emphasized that INEC has since clarified—via a letter to a civil society group, Initiative for Ethics and Value Orientation—that it made no such declaration against the signature of Acting National Secretary Arc. Setonji Koshoedo. The letter, signed by INEC Secretary Rose Oriaran-Anthony, declared the contested document was not in the commission’s records, thereby confirming Koshoedo’s legitimacy to sign.
Further chaos ensued when PDP staff staged a protest at the party’s national secretariat, walking out in rejection of Anyanwu’s reinstatement and accusing him of sowing discord. Nonetheless, Anyanwu continues to enjoy backing from influential figures, including the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja, PDP Deputy National Chairman (South), reaffirmed in a press briefing that the NEC meeting would hold today at the party’s Wadata Plaza headquarters in Abuja. He stressed that the meeting had been unanimously scheduled at the 99th NEC session held on May 27, 2025, and is constitutionally binding. Arapaja further dismissed a circulating notice about an “Expanded National Caucus” as illegitimate, affirming that such a body has no recognition under the PDP Constitution.
He reiterated that no officer or organ has the power to cancel or override a duly convened NEC meeting, especially one arranged in compliance with Section 31(3) of the party’s constitution. He added that today’s NEC meeting would receive reports from both the zoning and national convention organizing committees, ahead of the upcoming PDP National Convention scheduled for August 28–30, 2025.
In his remarks, Governor Peter Mbah doubled down on his support for the NEC and the South East ZEC’s demand for recognition of their rightful claim to the National Secretary position. He warned that if the party continued to ignore the South East’s position, it risked alienating the zone permanently.
He stated:
“While I remain a PDP member, I am tired of the endless drama. The South East reserves the right to review our membership if the party refuses to uphold its internal agreements and respect constitutional processes. Our position on the National Secretary role is not negotiable.”
High-profile PDP members present at the Enugu meeting included former PDP National Chairman Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, Senator Sam Egwu, Iyom Josephine Anenih, Senator Ben Obi, and Hon. Udeh-Okoye, among others—signaling growing pressure on the party leadership to restore order.
As both factions forge ahead with separate meetings, the PDP faces its most severe test yet in preserving unity, constitutional order, and credibility ahead of its crucial National Convention in August.
