Arapaja, PDP deputy chairman, defies Damagum, says NEC meeting holds Monday

Taofeek Arapaja, deputy national chairman (south) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), says the party’s national executive committee (NEC) meeting will be held on Monday.

Speaking at a press conference on Sunday night in Abuja, Arapaja said the 100th NEC meeting will be held at the party’s headquarters in the nation’s capital.

BACKGROUND

The crisis within the opposition party has recently taken a new turn.

During a press conference on Wednesday, Umar Damagum, acting national chairman of the PDP, affirmed Samuel Anyanwu 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 and that an expanded caucus meeting will be held instead.

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.

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

The PDP board of trustees (BoT) also rejected Anyanwu’s affirmation and rescheduling of the NEC meeting by Damagum.

Adolphus Wabara, PDP BoT chairman, said Damagum’s cancellation of the NEC meeting is an “abuse of office”.

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

‘NEC HOLDS ON MONDAY’

Arapaja, who was flanked by members of the NWC, said the NEC will, among other things, receive updates on the activities of the zoning committee and the national convention organising committee.

“By virtue of section 31(3) of the constitution of the PDP (as amended in 2017) the Monday, 30th June, 2025 date for the 100th NEC meeting is binding on all organs and members, and as such no organ, group or officer of the Party has the power to alter, change, vary, veto or convert the already convened NEC meeting,” he said.

“Contrary to a purported notice being circulated in the social media suggesting that the 100th NEC meeting has been converted to a special expanded national caucus meeting, the NWC states in clear terms that the said notice did not emanate from the PDP and should be disregarded.

“The NWC emphasises that there is no provision whatsoever for an expanded national caucus in the constitution of the PDP or any guideline of the party.

“For the avoidance of doubt, section 30 of the constitution of the PDP is unambiguous in providing for a national caucus for the party with its composition, functions and meetings clearly spelt out, leaving no room for any form of expansion.

“The suggestion, proposal or announcement for a special expanded national caucus meeting’ is therefore unconstitutional and cannot take any decision for the PDP being not a recognised organ or body in the PDP.”

Arapaja added that the PDP is guided by the party’s constitution, due process and ethos of internal democracy, which must be preserved always.