BREAKING: PDP reinstates Wike’s Ally, Anyanwu, as National Secretary

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has reinstated Senator Samuel Anyanwu as its National Secretary, ending months of internal wrangling over the key position.

The announcement was made on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, by the Acting National Chairman of the party, Ambassador Iliya Damagum, during a press conference at the PDP National Secretariat in Abuja.

Damagum, who was joined by top party leaders including Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed and former Senate President Bukola Saraki, admitted the decision was not easy.

“It was a critical and difficult decision,” he said.

He also revealed that the scheduled National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting has been canceled.

Instead, the party will hold an extended caucus meeting on June 30, where further decisions regarding party leadership and direction are expected.

INEC’s Role and Legal Backdrop

This development follows a high-level meeting between PDP leaders and the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, on Tuesday.

While no official briefing followed the closed-door session, sources within the party told Daily Trust that INEC advised the PDP to comply with the Supreme Court’s ruling regarding the office of the national secretary.

INEC also emphasized that only letters signed by both the national chairman and national secretary would be recognized.

Previously, INEC rejected PDP’s notice for the NEC meeting because it lacked the signature of the national secretary.

This prompted party leaders to urgently resolve the leadership impasse.

How the Crisis Began

The dispute began when Samuel Anyanwu, then serving as National Secretary, contested the Imo State governorship primaries.

During his absence, the PDP South East Caucus nominated Sunday Udeh-Okoye, a former National Youth Leader, as acting secretary.

After losing the governorship election, Anyanwu returned and sought to reclaim his position.

However, opposition from his zone—led by Deputy National Chairman (South East), Chief Ali Odefa—blocked his reinstatement, sparking legal battles.

In December 2024, the Court of Appeal in Enugu declared Udeh-Okoye as the legitimate secretary.

Unhappy with the verdict, Anyanwu took the case to the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court overturned the appellate ruling, but stressed that political parties retain the power to determine their internal leadership arrangements.

This statement further fueled division among PDP leaders.

To manage the crisis, PDP governors later nominated Setonji Koshoedo, the Deputy National Secretary, to act in the role until a final resolution was reached.

Looking Ahead

The reinstatement of Anyanwu is seen as a strategic move by the PDP leadership to realign with INEC’s expectations and restore order within the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).

The June 30 extended caucus meeting is expected to be a turning point for the opposition party, which faces pressure to present a united front ahead of upcoming elections.

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