Under the bright Abuja sun on Monday, political watchers expected yet another day of chaos for Nigeria’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Instead, they got an unexpected reprieve.
At the 100th meeting of the PDP’s National Executive Committee (NEC), leaders agreed to reinstate Senator Samuel Anyanwu as the party’s National Secretary, a figure at the heart of months of bitter infighting that had threatened to tear the party apart.
Announcing the decision after the closed-door session, acting National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum, declared:
“We’ve all come together and agreed that Senator Anyanwu will continue to serve as National Secretary. The issue of the convention has also been deferred to the next NEC, slated for the 23rd of next month. At that meeting, we will convene a proper NEC, where both myself and Senator Anyanwu will co-sign communications in compliance with INEC requirements.”
Damagum’s tone was defiant toward critics who predicted the PDP’s imminent collapse.
“To those who thought this meeting would fall apart or mark the end of the PDP, this party remains the only one in the country that has consistently convened its conventions as required,” he said.
Behind the calm statements lay weeks of frantic political maneuvering, security lockdowns, and bitter personal rivalries.
How the Deal Was Struck
According to insider accounts, Monday’s NEC truce didn’t come easy. Party elders, governors, and the Board of Trustees (BoT) had been alarmed by the crisis’s escalating stakes. Eleven NWC members who initially opposed Anyanwu’s reinstatement felt sidelined by Damagum’s unilateral actions.
Meanwhile, tensions simmered in the PDP’s South-East zone, once the party’s stronghold, amid threats of mass defections if Anyanwu, seen by some as an ally of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike was forced back into office.
“Most leaders agreed that, following INEC’s position, Anyanwu should be reinstated. But it was Damagum’s handling that angered many within the NWC. The governors and some party leaders met earlier and resolved many key issues.”
Three conditions reportedly underpinned the settlement: No Victimisation: Anyanwu must not retaliate against party secretariat staff who earlier protested his leadership.
Due Process: Anyanwu was cautioned against bypassing procedures in the run-up to the party’s national convention. A definitive convention date will be set at the July 23 NEC meeting, likely for October or November.
Forgiveness Pact Dropped: BoT Chairman, Senator Adolphus Wabara, initially suggested Anyanwu sign an undertaking not to punish those who opposed him. However, party leaders persuaded Wabara to abandon the idea in the interest of reconciliation.
Security Siege at Wadata Plaza
Yet the path to Monday’s truce was strewn with dramatic scenes worthy of a political thriller. Earlier that morning, armed operatives of the Nigeria Police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) stormed the PDP’s national headquarters at Wadata Plaza, sealing off the premises.
Both rival factions within the NWC had reportedly mobilized for competing meetings, raising fears of clashes. Security trucks filled the streets, while journalists, staff, and party members were barred from entering. Even the PDP’s BoT members found themselves locked out.
“You came to our office and surrounded it with police just because we want to have a meeting? Are you trying to turn Nigeria into North Korea? Or Russia?” fumed Chief Bode George, a former Deputy National Chairman. “We will not allow it. Nigerians will not allow it.”
Amid the siege, the PDP leadership relocated to the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, where the NEC and BoT eventually convened.
Though Monday’s NEC decision has momentarily calmed the waters, the deeper wounds remain. The PDP’s internal crisis is not just a story of one man’s disputed office, it’s symptomatic of a party battling existential questions about loyalty, regional balance, and its role as Nigeria’s main opposition force.
The Roots of the Anyanwu Saga
The storm swirling around Anyanwu can be traced to October 2023, when he secured the PDP’s ticket for the Imo State governorship election. Under the PDP constitution, Anyanwu should have resigned as National Secretary. Instead, he held onto the position while campaigning, triggering a leadership vacuum at Wadata Plaza.
The South-East PDP stepped in, nominating Sunday Ude-Okoye as acting secretary. Initially seen as a practical solution, the move evolved into a high-stakes tug-of-war when Anyanwu lost his gubernatorial bid and returned to reclaim his office.
What followed was a legal merry-go-round: A High Court in Enugu ruled Ude-Okoye the legitimate National Secretary.
A Federal High Court in Abuja later countermanded that, reinstating Anyanwu. The Court of Appeal issued conflicting judgments from its Enugu and Abuja divisions.
In March 2025, the Supreme Court ultimately refused to intervene, calling it an internal party matter. Each legal twist drove the PDP deeper into crisis.
The Wike Shadow
Hovering over the drama is the figure of Nyesom Wike. Though nominally a PDP stalwart, Wike now serves as President Bola Tinubu’s FCT Minister. His fingerprints, insiders allege, were all over Anyanwu’s reinstatement. Many believe Wike’s influence is part of a larger plan to keep the PDP divided, thus ensuring the APC faces a weakened opposition in 2027.
“Wike has been working hand-in-glove with the APC to ensure the PDP remains in disarray,” said one senior PDP official.
Whether these accusations are true or political scapegoating, they underscore the party’s festering trust deficit.
The South-East’s Fury
The South-East’s discontent is no small matter. Once a PDP bastion, the region has shifted ground dramatically, with Labour Party and APC making inroads. Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu warned bluntly:
“This is not just about a position-it’s about respect. The South-East cannot continue to be treated like a pawn in PDP power games.”
If the South-East bolts from the PDP, the fallout could redraw Nigeria’s political map.
Read also:
- Unusual security deployed to PDP Secretariat ahead of 100th NEC meeting as power tussle intensifies
- Police deny sealing PDP national secretariat in Abuja
- Wike’s ally, Samuel Anyanwu reinstated as PDP National Secretary
The Bigger Picture: Implications for 2027
The PDP’s meltdown couldn’t come at a worse time for Nigeria’s democracy. The ruling APC faces growing public anger over economic hardship, insecurity, and fuel price hikes. Yet the PDP has been unable to present itself as a credible alternative, leaving the opposition space open for emerging forces like the Labour Party and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).
Bukola Saraki, former Senate President, has warned that the PDP risks becoming irrelevant unless it urgently resolves its crises.
“If we don’t purge saboteurs and unite, the PDP risks becoming a relic of the past,” said former National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan.
The PDP’s current implosion bears a haunting resemblance to its 2015 collapse, when internal strife and voter dissatisfaction paved the way for the APC’s rise to power. Political analysts note:
“The APC’s 2015 victory was built on unity, superior organization, and public disillusionment with the PDP—a playbook now being reused against the PDP itself.”
The lesson remains clear: an opposition divided against itself cannot stand.
The Path Forward
While Monday’s NEC meeting offered temporary respite, true reconciliation will require more than press statements. The PDP faces a series of critical steps:
Holding the next NEC meeting (July 23) to finalize the convention date and chart a unified path forward; Managing the convention without further factional battles; Addressing regional grievances, particularly those of the South-East; Clarifying the Wike question, is he friend or foe?; Reconnecting with voters on bread-and-butter issues like economic hardship and security.
As Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed put it: “This party has a history, pedigree, and the human capital to deliver Nigeria… We’ve faced controversies, not ones we created, but ones created for us. Yet unlike other parties, we continue to navigate these storms.”
Phoenix or Footnote?
For now, Senator Anyanwu is back in office. The security trucks have rolled away from Wadata Plaza. But the question remains: can the PDP heal in time to challenge the APC in 2027? Or will it become a footnote in Nigeria’s political history?
One thing is clear: the stakes are higher than party survival. At risk is the health of Nigeria’s democracy itself, a system that depends on a strong opposition to keep those in power accountable.
