Anyanwu Defies PDP Governors, Returns to National Headquarters

Senator Samuel Anyanwu, the embattled National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has resumed his duties at the party’s National Headquarters, disregarding the decision of the PDP Governors’ Forum which had endorsed Sunday Ude-Okoye as the new National Secretary. The endorsement, following an Appeal Court ruling, instructed the National Working Committee to implement the judgment.

Despite this, Anyanwu made a defiant return to the party headquarters at Wadata Plaza on Friday afternoon. Dressed in white, he proceeded directly to his office to continue handling party affairs, signaling his resistance to the ongoing leadership conflict.

This latest development comes amid the party’s ongoing internal turmoil, which has escalated since the 2023 general elections. The PDP has struggled with deep divisions, particularly in relation to the National Secretary role, which has been a point of contention within the party.

The leadership crisis began with a nomination from the South East zone in 2023 for a new National Secretary. The zone’s demand for Anyanwu’s resignation due to his governorship aspirations in Imo State triggered further divisions. A Court of Appeal ruling on December 20, 2024, confirmed Ude-Okoye as the new National Secretary, a decision that Anyanwu continues to contest.

Following the ruling, tensions intensified when Anyanwu’s supporters clashed with Ude-Okoye’s, forcibly removing him from a Board of Trustees meeting, a move that led to security intervention. In response, the PDP Governors’ Forum, led by Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, upheld the Appeal Court’s decision and endorsed Ude-Okoye, despite Anyanwu’s protest.

In his petition to various authorities, including the Inspector General of Police and the Supreme Court, Anyanwu insisted that he remains the legitimate National Secretary.