‘Abuse of office’ — PDP BoT faults Damagum for affirming Anyanwu as national secretary

The board of trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has kicked against the announcement of Samuel Anyanwu as national secretary of the party.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Adolphus Wabara, chairman of the BoT, also opposed postponing the national executive council (NEC) meeting scheduled for June 30.

BACKGROUND

During a press conference on Wednesday, Umar Damagum, acting national chairman of the PDP, said Anyanwu would resume as the party’s national secretary.

Present at the briefing were Bala Mohammed, governor of Bauchi and chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum; Abba Moro, senator representing Benue south and minority leader of the senate; along with other party officials.

Damagum also disclosed that the meeting initially scheduled for June 30 has been cancelled.

Anyanwu, an associate of Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), was affirmed after members of the PDP NWC and several governors met with Mahmood Yakubu, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and other senior officials.

But in a joint statement released on Wednesday, 11 NWC members said Anyanwu was not reinstated as the party’s scribe and that the NEC meeting will be held on June 30.

Anyanwu, Sunday Udeh-Okoye, and Setonji Koshoedo have each laid claim to the PDP national secretary position.

‘GROSS ABUSE OF OFFICE’

Wabara said Damagum’s “unilateral” announcement of Anyanwu as national secretary and cancellation of the NEC meeting is a “gross abuse of office”.

“The BoT, in defense of the constitution of the PDP, states categorically that these pronouncements by the acting national chairman are null, void and of no effect, being inconsistent and in gross violation of the express provisions of the constitution of the PDP (as amended in 2017),” the statement reads.

Wabara said the June 30 date for the next NEC meeting was agreed upon at the previous session held on May 27, adding that the decision is binding on all organs and members of the PDP as the highest decision-making organ.

“To this effect, being a NEC decision, no organ, group or individual has the power or competence to cancel, adjust or postpone the 100th NEC meeting already scheduled by NEC to hold on Monday, 30th June, 2025,” the statement reads.

“It is therefore not within the remit or authority of the acting national chairman to override a collective decision of the NEC.

“Such conduct amounts to an affront to the constitutional authority of NEC and the collective will of our party.

“Furthermore, the statement purporting to reinstate senator Samuel Anyanwu as national secretary is equally spurious and offensive to the spirit and letter of the PDP constitution, the outcome of the supreme court judgment and the resolution of NEC.

“The decision of the national working committee (NWC) at its 600th meeting directing the deputy national secretary to act as national secretary in accordance with the extant powers of the NWC remains valid, having not been set aside by the NWC or NEC. The attempt by Amb. Damagum to overturn that decision is a gross abuse of office.

“The Board of Trustees, being the conscience of the Party, cannot stand idly by and watch the Party descend into chaos through acts of impunity, unilateralism and disregard for constitutional procedures.”

The BoT said the NEC meeting would be held on June 30, adding that all members should disregard any contradictory notice or statement regarding the 100th NEC meeting.

Wabara said Koshoedo remains the acting national secretary of the PDP “pending any contrary decision formally taken and communicated by the appropriate organ of the party”.