Damagum: NEC has affirmed Sam Anyanwu as PDP national secretary

Umar Damagum, acting national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), says the party’s national executive committee (NEC) has affirmed Samuel Anyanwu as the national secretary. 

Damagum spoke in Abuja on Monday after the NEC meeting held at the party ‘s headquarters. The NEC is the highest decision-making organ of the PDP.

“We just rose from our 100th NEC meeting. It was a one-agenda meeting to discuss the outcome of our interaction with INEC as regards the national secretary,” Damagum said.

“We all agreed that senator Anyanwu will continue to act as national secretary.”

Damagum said the next NEC meeting is scheduled for July 23, where members will finalise discussions on the party’s convention.

The acting national chairman said he and Anyanwu would jointly issue a letter informing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of the planned NEC meeting scheduled for next month.

Damagum said the success of Monday’s meeting disappointed the party’s “detractors”, who, according to him, thought it would be rancorous.

“The beauty of the Peoples Democratic Party is that it is the only party in this country that knows the mechanism to solve its own problem, rancour-free,” he said.

“All our governors attended the meeting. All members of NWC were on the same page. You will not be seeing all these press releases and counter-press releases.”

Adolphus Wabara, chairman of the board of trustees (BoT); Bala Mohammed, governor of Bauchi and chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum; and his colleagues — Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa, Dauda Lawal of Zamfara, Seyi Makinde of Oyo, Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau, and Douye Diri of Bayelsa were present at the meeting.

Others are former Senate President Bukola Saraki; Abba Moro, senate minority leader; Seriake Dickson, senator representing Bayelsa west, national working committee members; BoT members; PDP state chairmen, among others.

THE DRAMA BEFORE THE NEC MEETING

Earlier in the day, security operatives took over the PDP headquarters and prevented BoT members from entering the NEC hall to hold their meeting.

The BoT later moved the meeting to the Yar’Adua Centre in the central business district of Abuja.

Afterwards, various party organs—including the BoT, governors’ forum, and NWC—held separate meetings before converging at the Bauchi governors’ lodge.

They then proceeded to the national secretariat for the NEC meeting.

Before the commencement of the NEC meeting, chaos erupted after security operatives forcefully ejected some members from the hall.

THE DISPUTE OVER NATIONAL SECRETARY POSITION

The opposition party’s internal crisis has recently escalated.

During a press conference last Wednesday, Damagum affirmed Anyanwu as the party’s national secretary.

Present at the briefing were Mohammed and Moro, along with other party officials.

Damagum also announced that the NEC meeting initially scheduled for June 30 (today) was cancelled, noting that an expanded caucus meeting would be held instead.

Anyanwu 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.

On June 26, the BoT kicked against the choice of Anyanwu as national secretary of the PDP.

The BoT had also accused Damagum of “gross abuse of office” for making the announcement.

Damagum’s affirmation of Anyanwu divided the NWC, with 11 members saying he was not reinstated as the party’s scribe and that the NEC meeting would be held on June 30.

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

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

Addressing a press conference on Sunday, Taofeek Arapaja, deputy national chairman (south), who was flanked by members of the NWC, insisted that the NEC would be held as initially scheduled.

“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,” Arapaja said.

“Contrary to a purported notice being circulated on 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.”

“WE DECIDED TO HOLD NEC AFTER CONSULTATIONS”

Speaking before the closed-door session, Damagum said the party decided to hold the NEC instead of the extended national caucus meeting after “consultations with various organs of the party”.

He said the PDP has an internal mechanism for resolving its crises.

The PDP acting national chairman advised members to desist from demarketing the party.