The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has plunged deeper into crisis as internal factions prepare to hold parallel National Executive Committee (NEC) meetings today, amidst rising tension over leadership legitimacy and procedural disputes involving the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The controversy escalated following a closed-door meeting in Enugu, where Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State, alongside Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo, BoT Chairman Senator Adolphus Wabara, and South East Zonal Chairman Chief Ali Odefa, reaffirmed support for the position of the National Working Committee (NWC), Board of Trustees (BoT), and the South East Zonal Executive Committee (ZEC) on the party’s current leadership dispute.
While the NWC is proceeding with its scheduled NEC meeting, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, who was controversially reinstated by Acting National Chairman Amb. Umar Damagum, has convened a separate expanded caucus meeting.
Recall that Damagum had reinstated Anyanwu as National Secretary last week and postponed the NEC meeting.
However, this decision was rejected by 11 NWC members and the BoT, who insisted the NEC must proceed today as originally planned.
In a notice issued by Anyanwu, the meeting includes statutory members of the national caucus, deputy national officers, BoT members, state chairmen, lawmakers, former NWC members, and other key figures.
Attendance, the notice emphasized, is strictly by invitation, signaling the sensitive nature of the gathering.
However, both the expanded caucus meeting and the official 100th NEC meeting scheduled for today remain marred in controversy.
INEC had initially declined to recognize the PDP’s NEC notification, citing procedural flaws, specifically, the absence of a required co-signature from the national secretary in the notice signed solely by Damagum, contrary to INEC’s 2022 regulations.
In response, PDP National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba maintained that INEC lacked authority to interfere in the party’s internal processes.
But Damagum distanced himself from Ologunagba’s remarks, branding the statement unauthorized.
He doubled down by reaffirming Anyanwu’s reinstatement and postponing the NEC meeting.
This move incited further uproar. PDP headquarters staff walked out in protest, accusing Anyanwu of fomenting instability.
Nonetheless, he reportedly still enjoys support from influential figures like FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.
In an interview with DAILY GAZETTE, PDP National Financial Secretary Daniel Woyengikuro clarified that the NEC meeting must go ahead, stating it is a continuation of a previously adjourned session.
Woyengikuro dismissed claims that INEC invalidated the signature of Acting National Secretary Arc. Setonji Koshoedo, calling them “false and misleading.”
“They’re claiming INEC said this or that, but we’ve just heard that INEC has denied making any such statements.
Doesn’t it make you wonder who’s behind this confusion?
The people causing this nonsense are now trying to change the meeting’s purpose, citing INEC as their justification.
This is unacceptable,” he said.
He challenged Damagum to clarify publicly what INEC had told him and referred to a letter from INEC to the NGO ‘Initiative for Ethics and Value Orientation’, which confirmed that the commission never issued any advisory against Koshoedo’s signature.
“This response is all over social media and in the public domain. There’s no room for ambiguity here,” Woyengikuro added.
INEC’s letter, signed by Secretary Rose Oriaran-Anthony, stated that “the document under reference was not in its records,” effectively affirming Koshoedo’s legitimacy.
“The constitution is clear: in the absence of the secretary, the deputy national secretary acts.
Since there’s currently a dispute over who holds the secretary position, the deputy national secretary should step in.
It’s a straightforward matter. Anyone trying to bypass this process is undermining the party’s constitution and creating unnecessary divisions,” Woyengikuro said.
Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja, PDP Deputy National Chairman (South), confirmed late last night that the 100th NEC meeting would proceed as scheduled.
“The 100th NEC meeting will proceed as scheduled tomorrow, Monday, 30th June 2025, at the NEC Hall of the Wadata Plaza, PDP National Secretariat, Abuja,” Arapaja announced.
He reminded journalists that the session was unanimously scheduled during the 99th NEC held on 27 May 2025, making it binding on all party organs under Section 31(3) of the PDP Constitution (as amended in 2017).
“Contrary to a purported notice circulating on social media, the 100th NEC meeting has not been converted to a Special Expanded National Caucus meeting.
The said notice did not emanate from the PDP and should be disregarded,” Arapaja stated.
He further noted that there is no constitutional provision for an “Expanded National Caucus,” making such a gathering unconstitutional and without authority.
“The 100th NEC meeting will receive reports from the zoning committee and the national convention organising committee in preparation for the PDP National Convention scheduled for 28–30 August 2025,” he added.
“The PDP is a political party built on the foundation of strict adherence to the rule of law, guided by the due process of our party constitution and the ethos of internal democracy.
These values must be protected and preserved at all times,” Arapaja concluded.
Governor Peter Mbah reiterated his backing for the NEC and the party’s national organs, warning that the Southeast could review its PDP membership if its concerns remain unaddressed.
“While I am still a member of the PDP, the South East, and that includes me, reserves the right to review our continued membership of the party if the party is unwilling to put its house in order,” he said.
“That was invariably the position adopted during our last South East Zonal meeting held here in Enugu.
The caucus noted that the party should not disregard the zone’s stand regarding the national secretary position.
To all intents and purposes, this has obviously not been the case.
So, there is no doubt as to where I stand on the matter.
The position of the South East with respect to the national secretaryship of the party as issued in that communique is sacrosanct,” Mbah asserted.
Mbah made the remarks after meeting with key leaders including Senator Adolphus Wabara, Governor Makinde, Chief Ali Odefa, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, and other prominent Southeast PDP figures.
