Major Crisis Erupts In PDP As FCT Minister Wike, Govs Clash Over Party Position
A fresh leadership tussle is brewing between the governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, over the planned return of Senator Samuel Anyanwu as national secretary of the party.
Anyanwu was defeated at the just concluded Imo State governorship election held on November 11.
Before his defeat, pressure had been on him to hand over the office of the national secretary and concentrate on his governorship campaigns.
A former national youth leader of the PDP, Sunday Udeh Okoye was nominated by the South-east to succeed Anyanwu, but the power tussle did not allow him to assume office.
However, a court order by the Federal High Court sitting in Enugu State had in October ordered the PDP to replace Senator Anyanwu as the party’s National Secretary but the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) did not enforce the order.
Penultimate Tuesday, as the NWC was planning to swear in Okoye, Anyanwu, was said to have rushed to Abuja, and the planned ceremony was stalled.
Anyanwu presented the PDP NWC with a court order directing him to resume his office as national secretary.
However, the intervention of the governors stalled his return.
A source close to the PDP governors said that Anyanwu was stopped to avoid Wike assuming absolute control of the party’s leadership.
Reacting, the acting National Chairman of PDP, Ambassador Illya Damagum said that Anyanwu would not assume office till the conflicting court orders are resolved.
He said: “Since there are conflicting court orders, we urged the two sides to stand down and we have agreed and appointed the Deputy National Secretary to continue to act as Secretary pending the time, we will resolve all the issues; the conflicting court orders and resolutions of the South-east. So, there is no conflict and we are together and thinking together on this issue.”
