The leadership crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took a dramatic turn on Wednesday as Samuel Anyanwu and Sunday Ude-Okoye engaged in a fierce altercation over the party’s National Secretary position.
The confrontation occurred during the ongoing PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) meeting at the party’s national headquarters in Abuja, with both men claiming the post.
Ude-Okoye, who arrived at the meeting ahead of Anyanwu and Acting National Chairman Ambassador Iliya Damagum, was forcibly removed by suspected thugs as Anyanwu arrived, sparking chaos.
Ude-Okoye was seen shouting for support to resist the ejection.
The dispute over the National Secretary position dates back to Anyanwu’s departure to contest the Imo governorship election, which he lost. While Anyanwu was absent, the South-East Caucus of the party endorsed Ude-Okoye as his replacement. Following his return after the election loss, Anyanwu attempted to reclaim the post, igniting a fresh conflict.
A December 2024 Appeal Court ruling upheld Ude-Okoye as the legitimate National Secretary, confirming the outcome of a prior High Court decision that removed Anyanwu from the role. Anyanwu has alleged that former South-East Zonal Vice Chairman Ali Odefa orchestrated his ouster.
