The Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected the purported cancellation of the party’s highly anticipated 100th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting by the Acting National Chairman, Amb. Umar Iliya Damagum. The BoT has also dismissed his directive reinstating Senator Samuel Anyanwu as the National Secretary of the party, branding the actions as unconstitutional and a dangerous violation of party order.
According to the statement signed by BoT Chairman Senator Adolphus Wabara, the actions taken by Damagum are “null, void, and of no effect,” as they contravene the provisions of the PDP Constitution (as amended in 2017). The BoT emphasized that the NEC, which is the highest decision-making organ of the party after the National Convention, had already resolved at its 99th meeting on May 27, 2025, to convene its 100th session on Monday, June 30, 2025. That resolution, the BoT insisted, remains binding and cannot be overturned by any individual, group, or organ, including the Acting National Chairman.
The BoT warned that Amb. Damagum’s move to unilaterally cancel a decision of the NEC amounts to a direct assault on the collective will of the party and undermines its constitutional authority. The PDP leadership further described his attempt to reinstate Senator Anyanwu as National Secretary as a “spurious” action that disrespects both the Supreme Court’s judgment and the earlier resolutions passed by the NEC.
The party clarified that the National Working Committee (NWC) had, during its 600th meeting, empowered Arc. Setonji Koshoedo, the Deputy National Secretary, to serve in an acting capacity. This decision remains valid and has not been overturned by any official organ of the party.
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Raising concerns about rising unilateralism, impunity, and disregard for due process, the BoT vowed to protect the PDP from descending into institutional chaos. It called on all party members to uphold the supremacy of the PDP Constitution and resist any actions aimed at destabilizing the party for personal or factional gain.
Reaffirming its stance as the moral compass of the party, the BoT declared that the 100th NEC meeting will go ahead as scheduled on June 30. Members of the NEC are urged to ignore any contradictory information and fully participate in the historic session.
The BoT also reiterated that Arc. Koshoedo remains the legitimate Acting National Secretary until otherwise decided through the proper party channels. It warned against further attempts to hijack or manipulate the party’s democratic processes and reminded stakeholders that no individual ambition should outweigh the institutional integrity of the PDP.
This development marks a significant internal conflict within Nigeria’s main opposition party as it grapples with leadership tensions ahead of major political decisions expected at the upcoming NEC meeting.
