After months of suspense, governors elected on the platform of the main opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP), as well as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have formally recognized Senator Samuel Anyanwu as the party’s national secretary.
THE AUTHORITY gathered that the decision by the governors to formally back Anyanwu was reached after the late Sunday night meeting of the governors at the Bauchi State governor’s lodge in Abuja.
Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, showed up at the meeting.
Prior to the meeting, it was further gathered, a former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, had earlier convened another meeting which had in attendance Wike and some PDP-elected governors. It was at the meeting that the attention of the governors was drawn to the the legal implications of failing to recognize Anyanwu.
For instance, noted a source privy to the meeting, “the attention of the governors was drawn to the sad reality that PDP would not be able to field a candidate for the next Anambra Stare governorship election slated for 8 November, 2025.”
The source, who is a party official, said “it was the urgency of the need to send the details of the PDP governorship candidate to INEC before the deadline, that prompted the governors to swallow their pride and allow Anyanwu co-sign the letter to INEC with acting chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagun.”
In the letter addressed to INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, PDP listed Ezenwafor Jude as its governorship candidate in Anambra state, with Hon. Okene Francis Chukwudi as his running mate. The letter was dated May 7, 2025, and bore reference number PDP/DOM/GF.2/VOL.13/24-065.
Meanwhile, the party national leadership last night chided National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, for issuing a statement claiming that the letter to INEC on its Anambra guber candidate was forged.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Nomination Form for the PDP candidate in the Anambra State governorship election was signed by the duly authorised signatories of the Party: the Acting National Chairman, Amb. Iliya Damagum, and the Acting National Secretary, Arch. Setonji Koshoedo,” Ologunagba wrote.
He said in the statement that the recent Supreme Court judgment affirming the primacy of political parties over their internal affairs enabled the NWC to instruct the Deputy National Secretary to serve in the capacity of National Secretary, in accordance with Section 36(2) of the PDP Constitution (as amended in 2017).
However, THE AUTHORITY gathered that the party leadership convened an emergency meeting Monday night and directed Ologunagba to retract the statement.
A national officer of the party from the Northwest confirmed to THE AUTHORITY that the letter to INEC co-signed by Damagun and Anyanwu was authentic.
Also speaking during a media chat seeies on Monday, Wike accused some PDP governors of working against the interest of the party.
He described the insistence by some PDP governors that Anyanwu be forced out as the party’s national secretary as being responsible for the gale of defections rocking the party.
Said Wike: “After the Supreme Court set aside the judgement that purportedly removed Sam Anyanwu as national secretary, instead of obeying the judgement they started dilly-dillaying, fully aware that these people (NWC members) are leaving in December.
“Why insist that Anyanwu must go before his tenure lapses? Why not remove yourself from this quagmire? The PDP Constitution says that all correspondences to INEC must be signed by the national chairman and national secretary. If you want PDP to survive, why not make sacrifices to make the party work. Why fall into temptation as an opposition party?”, quizzed Wike.
The minister said he was aware that the opposition towards Anyanwu was due to the national secretary’s relationship with him. He threatened to sue the party should there be any move to make any other official of the party other than Anyanwu sign documents of the PDP.
“Who issues notice of NEC meetings? If it is not Sam Anyanwu that signed the notice, we’ll challenge it in court. Sam Anyanwu is close to Wike. To them, that is an offence. I’ll not allow anybody close to me to be humiliated. Several things were agreed. Let’s see if they will implement it, else we will return to court,” Wike declared.