The fact-finding committee of the Peoples Democratic Party National Caucus, led by Taraba State Governor Agbu Kefas, informed the 99th National Executive Committee meeting on Tuesday that the Independent National Electoral Commission had recognised Senator Samuel Anyanwu as the party’s National Secretary.
On Monday, the NEC established a three-member committee led by Kefas, with Governors Dauda Lawal (Zamfara) and Peter Mbah (Enugu), PDP National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade SAN, as members, to verify whether INEC recognised Anyanwu, a loyalist of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, as the party’s scribe.
Multiple sources, including a NEC member, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to lack of authorisation to speak to the media, revealed that the Kefas panel informed the 99th NEC on Tuesday in Abuja that INEC had affirmed Anyanwu as the party’s national secretary in line with a Supreme Court judgment.
To properly remove him from office based on the decision of the PDP governors, and in adherence to the 21-day notice requirement, the party plans to reconvene by June 30.
The development may further exacerbate the crisis in the party and widen the schism between the party and the FCT minister, who threatened to pull out of the agreements he had earlier reached with the party leadership to resolve the crisis plaguing the opposition party.
Wike accused the party leadership of reneging on the agreements.
In a statement on Sunday, the ex-Rivers governor announced his withdrawal from the reconciliation efforts, blaming Governors Seyi Makinde of Oyo and Peter Mbah of Enugu for the party crisis.
On the heels of Wike’s statement, the reconciliation panel led by former Senate President Bukola Saraki held an emergency meeting with key stakeholders on Sunday night.
The outcome of the meeting has yet to be ascertained.
The PDP has been dealing with internal political turmoil before and after the 2023 general elections.
Issues such as the crisis in Rivers State, disagreements over the South South and South East Zonal Congress, the dispute surrounding the national secretary position, and, more recently, the North Central Zonal Congress, have further polarised the party.
Tensions have risen among party leaders, including Wike, and Governors Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau), Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), and others, who are displeased with decisions taken by the National Working Committee and the PDP Governors’ Forum.
These decisions, largely influenced by Governors Makinde, Mbah, and Mohammed, are perceived as attempts to whittle Wike’s political influence.
Despite efforts by the National Working Committee, Board of Trustees, NEC, and the Governors’ Forum to resolve these conflicts, tensions have worsened and spread across various states and geopolitical zones.
The persistent crisis caused the NEC meeting to be postponed six times, delaying important decisions about the party’s future. As a result, several party members, including Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, defected from the PDP to the ruling APC.
Following an extensive National Caucus meeting held at the Bauchi Governors Lodge in Abuja on Monday and Tuesday, the 99th NEC meeting was called to order at noon at the party annexe office, Legacy House, Wadata Plaza, Abuja.
A reliable source informed our correspondent that the 99th NEC meeting turned chaotic when a South-East Zonal member objected to the National Vice Chairman (South East), Ali Odefa, claiming he is no longer a member of the party.
The sources stated, “The findings of the Kefas Committee, earlier set up by the National Caucus, were presented to the NEC. The findings revealed that INEC recognises Anyanwu because he has not been officially removed.
“INEC told them that Anyanwu has not been removed and that the Commission must be given at least 21 days’ notice. It also has to witness the removal process.
‘’Therefore, the NEC decided to receive the South-East petition and scheduled it for further deliberation at another meeting slated for June 30 to perfect the removal process.
“Also, while the meeting was ongoing, Anyanwu’s running mate during the last Imo State governorship election, Jones Onyereri, moved a motion that the South-East Zonal National Chairman, Ali Odefa, should not be recognised. He argued that Odefa had been suspended and removed by a court ruling.
“When the situation began to get rowdy, Onyereri was asked to submit a formal petition on the matter at the next NEC meeting.”
According to the Kefas committee’s report, exclusively obtained by our correspondent, the Enugu governor, who met with an INEC representative, disclosed that no replacement could be made until Anyanwu was removed in line with the party’s Constitution.
The report read in part, “H.E Peter Mba met with INEC contact and reported to the committee the position/status of the National Secretary thus: That the commission still recognised Sen. Anyanwu as the National Secretary of the party in consonance with the Supreme Court judgment
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