The main opposition party, People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) self-distraught mission may leave Nigeria a near-one-party state when another round of general election comes in 2027
By Udoka Ekeleme, Abuja
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is on a mission to self-distraught. The signs are ominous. Stakeholders in the country’s political firmament are sore worried that a party that is expected to be a staunch opposition to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), has become a laughing stock in the comity of political parties in Nigeria. More worrisome is the fact that the leadership of the party across the country has become docile and helpless as war of attrition rages within its fold.
Hardly a week passes without bickering within the PDP since the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu began two years ago. Numerous bickering in the party across divide, under the Tinubu government, had been attributed to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike who is accused of aligning with the APC to destroy the main opposition party. However, the current bickering in the PDP over who is the legitimate National Secretary of the party, has not had anything to do with the name of Wike, fueling speculation that there are certainly other anti-party forces within the PDP who are bent on killing and burying the opposition party.
At the Wadata Plaza Headquarters of the PDP, Abuja, two members are laying claim to the office of the National Secretary. Sam Anyanwu and Ude Okoye both of who claim to be the authentic National Secretary are tearing the PDP to shreds as their claim has brought a sharp division amongst the party’s chieftains across the country.
The camp of Anyanwu who had been removed by an Appeal Court judgment over his governorship ambition in the last gubernatorial election in Imo State, insists that he had appealed the judgment and stay of execution at the Supreme Court, and should be allowed to remain in office until the appeal at the Supreme Court has been decided.
On its part, the Okoye camp is arguing that the Appeal Court judgment was a declaratory judgment that requires no stay of execution in law. For this camp, Anyanwu must vacate office as the National Secretary pending the determination of the case at the Supreme Court.
The two camps have been at each other’s jugular until Monday, January 13, 2025 when Anyanwu, against warnings from the opposing camp, stormed the party’s headquarters where he resumed duty as the authentic National Secretary amid panic and heavy security presence.
Anyanwu resumed office at the PDP’s headquarters amid tight security. He arrived the party’s secretariat around 10:56 am and headed straight for his office where he was received by his personal staff.
A detachment of armed policemen, led by a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) in a patrol van, was stationed outside the party’s headquarters to compliment policemen on regular posting to the secretariat.
As he spoke to journalists while sitting on his desk, Anyanwu dismissed a statement credited to the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba who had earlier confirmed to the media that the party had received the Appeal Court judgment recognizing Sunday Ude Okoye as national secretary.
Anyanwu said: “That is his opinion. It’s not the opinion of the party. As national publicity secretary of the party, I wouldn’t want to disparage him. Maybe he didn’t get the facts correctly, I have appealed.
“But as a matter of fact, what the law says is that I should appeal, and I appealed the matter, appeal for stay of execution, I’ve appealed to the Supreme Court.
“Maybe he didn’t get the facts correct, or probably he never knew that the matter has been appealed, and it’s in the Supreme Court.
“Obviously what it means is that the position will remain as it is until it is determined by the Supreme Court. Today is our resumption day and he’s a lawyer, so he should understand that that is the position of the law.
“What I have to say is that this party belongs to the people, not to an individual, not to a person, not to a group, but to the people, because this is the only party that took power away from the military and this party is in every family in Nigeria.
“So, I always ask for our party faithful to be strong, to remain firm with the party, and let’s work together for 2027, it’s possible for us to get that presidency, which all of us have been suffering from and that’s why we’re here anyway.”
But why he responded to Anyanwu’s claims, Ologunagba described Anyanwu’s decision to resume in defiance of a subsisting court order as “unfortunate” and embarrassing.”
According to Ologunagba, “We have not received any stay of execution. Anyanwu’s resumption is unfortunate; this is not the time for the party to go through this kind of embarrassing situation. We are a country of rule of law and order.
“If you have a stay of execution, it’s a process. You have to serve the parties involved. As I said, the party, PDP, has not received either a notice of motion for a stay or been served a stay of execution.
“I don’t know where that is coming from, but the party has a process. When the document comes in, I will be made aware through the legal adviser.
“As we speak, I have no information at this time that the party has been served either a motion for stay or a stay of execution.
“I am not going to predict what the party will or will not do. I know very well that when you have a stay of execution, there’s a process. When you apply for a stay, there is a motion you must have file and serve before the court can listen to that motion and take action.
“As I speak to you, this party has not received a motion on notice for a stay application, nor, to my knowledge, has the party received a stay order granted by a court of competent jurisdiction.
“It’s just unfortunate that this drama is going on, but again, what is more condemnable is the attempt to resort to self-help. We have information about the activities of thugs from Niger State.
“We are privy to the communication involved, including the emails that were sent by bank transfer. We have details of that. All of these were done at the behest of Senator Anyanwu. It is unfortunate that a former senator should be a law breaker.
“There is a process; let’s agree on the rule of law. We have no personal issues with him. I don’t think the party has personal issues. He went to court and appealed the case but did not let the process proceed.
“As I’ve said before, we don’t do self-help. It’s a process. We are a law-and-order party. Because we are a law-and-order party, that is why we don’t act impulsively.
“We see the hand of the third force in this matter. We suspect that, unfortunately, some members of the party are being used by the ruling party to disturb us so that the party will have issues going into the next election because of the fundamental failure of the APC.
“Having said that, we are a party of law and order. We will follow through with the process. We don’t do self-help. We are not in the jungle.
“PDP will continue to do what is in the interest of the party, in accordance with the law and the constitution.
“Don’t forget, the judgment granted is a declaratory judgment. That cannot be stayed. It’s clear.
“If they have applied for a stay, let the court decide one way or the other. And whatever the court decides, this party will abide by that.”
The Anyanwu versus Okoye imbroglio may be quickening the speculated defection of four governors elected on the platform of the opposition party to the APC. Recently, the media have become awash with stories of five governors including the PDP four who have allegedly concluded plans to join the ruling APC.
Governors Peter Mbah, Sheriff Oborevwori, Siminalayi Fubara and Umo Eno of Enugu, Delta, Rivers and Akwa Ibom States respectively, have been speculated to join the APC in the nearest future. The fifth governor touted to be on his way back to his former party is Alex Otti of Abia State who was elected in 2023 on the platform of the Labour Party (LP).
Although the spin doctors of these governors have been struggling to dismiss the news of alleged defection of their principals to the ruling APC as mere speculation, political analysts have viewed the National Secretary crisis rocking the PDP as creating a leeway for the defection of the four governors to the APC.
