Efforts by the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to broker peace in the party’s widening internal rift hit a dead end on Wednesday after the camp of the National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, rejected the reconciliation move.
The BoT, which met earlier in Abuja, had set up a six-member committee to mediate between the two factions of the National Working Committee (NWC) — one led by acting National Chairman Umar Damagum, and the other loyal to Anyanwu. But hours after the meeting, Anyanwu and his faction dismissed the process, calling it “a nullity.”
Addressing journalists in Abuja, Anyanwu faulted the legitimacy of the BoT meeting, claiming he was not invited despite being a statutory member. “What took place today was a meeting of friends and associates,” he said. “Any BoT meeting without my presence is a nullity. The letter of the PDP is with me. Since I was not there and I was not invited, what took place was not a BoT meeting.”
The faction also maintained that the party’s planned national convention remained cancelled, citing a recent ruling by an Abuja High Court which halted the exercise. It said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had been notified accordingly not to recognize the event.
Alhaji Mohammed Abdulrahman, who heads the Anyanwu camp as factional acting national chairman, confirmed that an appeal had been filed against the Abuja court ruling for further judicial interpretation. “The PDP hereby cancels the convention pending the determination of the appeal,” he said. “Any continuation of plans for the convention is in violation of the judicial process. We have equally notified INEC to suspend the convention in compliance with the judgment.”
When reminded of a contrary ruling by an Oyo State High Court that permitted the PDP to proceed with the convention, Abdulrahman dismissed it as inferior to the Abuja judgment. “A ruling from an ex parte motion cannot override a subsisting judgment,” he argued. “Besides, before that ex parte order was issued, we had already filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal in Abuja.”
The BoT, which convened its emergency meeting under the chairmanship of Senator Adolphus Wabara, had earlier constituted a high-powered reconciliation committee led by Ambassador Hassan Adamu (North-East). Other members include Mike Oghiadomhe (South-South), Chief Ugochukwu Okeke (South-East), Senator Zaynab Kure (North-Central), Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola (South-West), and Dr. Lubna Mohammed Gusau (North-West).
In its communiqué, the BoT reaffirmed its loyalty to the Damagum-led NWC and applauded the ruling of the Oyo State High Court which upheld the PDP’s right to manage its internal affairs. It described the judgment as “a victory for democracy, rule of law, and political development.”
The statement read: “The BoT reaffirms that the PDP remains a united, formidable, and focused political party under the leadership of the Amb. Iliya Damagum-led National Working Committee. We commend the NWC, the PDP Governors Forum, and the National Convention Organising Committee for their collective roles in stabilising our party ahead of the Ibadan convention.”
However, the BoT expressed concern over the escalating crisis, particularly the invasion of the party’s national secretariat by Anyanwu’s supporters earlier in the week. “These tensions, misunderstandings, and regrettable incidents are not reflective of the ideals and character of the PDP,” it stated.
It also emphasized that its reconciliation initiative was not a sign of weakness but a show of maturity and responsibility. “As the conscience of the party, the BoT will not take sides but will focus on safeguarding the integrity of the PDP and ensuring dialogue over discord,” it added.
The internal feud deepened after the Damagum-led NWC suspended Anyanwu and several other top officers over alleged anti-party activities. In response, Anyanwu’s group announced the suspension of Damagum and others while installing Abdulrahman as factional acting chairman.
The PDP, Nigeria’s main opposition party, has been engulfed in leadership turmoil ahead of its scheduled national convention in Ibadan. The crisis, analysts say, could further test the unity and resilience of a party still struggling to regain national relevance since its loss of power in 2015.
