From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
There was commotion at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national secretariat, Wadata Plaza, Abuja, yesterday, as supporters of the two contenders for the national secretary position clashed.
Supporters of Senator Samuel Anyanwu and former national youth leader, Sunday Ude-Okoye, who were locked in a legal tussle over the rightful national secretary of the PDP clashed at a meeting of the Board of Trustees (BoT) convened over the state of affairs in the opposition party.
This is as the PDP acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum and the BoT chairman, Adolphus Wabara, traded words over the crisis in the National Working Committee ( NWC).
While Wabara expressed disappointment over the crack in the NWC, Damagum accused party leaders, including BoT members of complicity in the crisis.
Trouble started at about 12.30pm when Ude-Okoye, who was recently affirmed by the Court of Appeal, Enugu Division, as Anyanwu’s replacement as national secretary was forced out of the National Executive Committee (NEC) hall, venue of the BoT meeting by alleged loyalists of the latter. The national chairman and secretary are statutory members of the BoT.
The former national youth leader had arrived at the meeting, which had in attendance Damagum, Anyanwu, Wabara, BoT Secretary, Senator Ahmed Makarfi for Osun State governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, amongst others, at about 12.03pm.
On arrival, he moved to the high table where other leaders were already seated and took his seat.
Few minutes after journalists and non BoT members were asked to leave the hall, so that the board could commence its executive session, there was noise inside the hall with shouts of “go out.” Ude-Okoye was close to the exit door when someone forcefully pushed him from behind and assaulted him.
After the former youth leader’s assault, some of his supporters surged towards the entrance to the hall, insisting that he must be allowed into the meeting. However, while they tried to forcibly open the door, Anyanwu’s loyalists held the door firmly from within.
The atmosphere became tense with party supporters, who were not allowed entry into the secretariat scaling the gate into the premises.
Nevertheless, at about 1.30pm, there was a massive deployment of security personnel, consisting of military, police, Nigeria Security and Civil Corps( NSCDC) personnel in over 10 trucks.
Security operatives later cleared the entrance to the hall and reinforced security arrangements earlier put in place while Ude-Okoye later accessed the hall again.
Ude-Okoye, who spoke to journalists after the BoT meeting, said: “I wasn’t forcefully pushed out. Some people wanted to attack me and I decided to move out in defence of myself. No one pushed me out but in defence of myself, I moved out.”
The PDP crisis began in the aftermath of its presidential primary for the 2023 general election. After the ouster of the former PDP chairman, Senator Iyorchia, following his suspension by his ward, Damagum took over in acting capacity.
The crisis deepened last year following disagreement between loyalists of former vice president, Atiku Abubakar and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory ( FCT), Nyesom Wike on whether Damagum should be replaced with a substantive national chairman or not.
Also, the NWC had serially postponed a meeting of the PDP NEC, which is expected to take a decision over several pending issues, including the appointment of a substantive national chairman.
The crisis took a new twist after the Court of Appeal, last December, affirmed the judgment of an Enugu High Court, affirming Ude-Okoye as national secretary. The South East chapter of the PDP had chosen the former national youth leader as replacement for Anyanwu after he emerged as a candidate in the last Imo State governorship poll.
Nevertheless, while the Appeal Court judgment has polarised the NWC, with many members of the party organ backing Ude-Okoye, Anyanwu, who continued to maintain that he is still national secretary, has appealed to the Supreme Court.
Regardless, Damagum, while speaking at the meeting, admitted that there was a crisis within the NWC.
“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 is 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 will be sitting down as 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 a crisis simply to further your ambition, you may get what you want, but your dream will not be realised, 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 will have a credible vehicle that can challenge what is bedeviling us. “
Damagum assured the BoT that the opposition NWC would do everything possible to ensure the party’s NEC in February, as was agreed in a meeting with the PDP Governors Forum.
“At the last meeting we had with the governor, we all agreed we’ll have NEC. I want to assure you that we’ll do everything possible to have this NEC this February. You are all aware we’ve started the process of zonal congresses.
“Even at that, I enjoin our leaders to also be mindful of doing anything that can mar these congresses. It is very important to sound this note because whatever we do, is the structure you are building to hold what you have at your hand.
“Like you said, we are supposed to bring credible people. We’ve had congresses recently in almost 29 states. We have problems in a few states. I think we are getting there.”
Wabara had, earlier, in his welcome address, noted that it is disheartening that the crisis in the PDP NWC has not been resolved.
The BoT chairman, while urging the NWC members to rise above selfish interest, stressed the need for the party leadership to convene NEC to enable the party organ address issues in the PDP.
“Primarily, let me express my profound disappointment over the crises currently rocking the leadership of the National Working Committee (NWC). As elder statesmen and women; leaders who hold the trust of the generality of our party members and the public, it is disheartening that these issues have not been resolved.
“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.
“In the light of these challenges, I must emphasize the urgent need for a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting. I again urge the NWC to honour its words and convene the NEC meeting as scheduled in February 2025. It is pertinent to stress that party members across the country are in earnest expectation that the NEC meeting will be held this February, “ he stated.
Wabara added that “the NEC remains the highest decision-making body of our party, and it is crucial that we convene without further delay to address these pressing concerns. The NEC meeting will serve as a platform to reaffirm our shared commitment to the unity, discipline, and ideals that bind us together as members of the PDP. “
Wabara, while briefing journalists on the outcome of the meeting, said the board has set up a committee headed by former Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki, to wade into the tussle over the national Secretary position and report back to it.
“The Acting National Chairman assured the BoT that the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting will be held as scheduled in February 2025 to address all pertinent issues and reaffirm our shared commitment to the unity, discipline, and ideals that bind us together as members of the PDP.”
