Over 1,000 groups within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have declared their support for Senator Samuel Anyanwu, affirming his position as the party’s National Secretary amid an ongoing leadership crisis.
The PDP Youth Frontiers Network, a coalition of progressive-minded youth groups within the party, made this known at a press briefing in Abuja, where they addressed what they described as an unconstitutional attempt to replace Anyanwu with Deputy National Secretary, Sunday Udeh-Okoye.
Speaking at the event, National Coordinator Hon. Henry Owolabi condemned the interference of the PDP Governors’ Forum and the Board of Trustees (BoT), accusing them of overstepping their bounds by advising the National Working Committee (NWC) to swear in Udeh-Okoye.
Owolabi argued that such a move contradicts the PDP Constitution and disregards the fact that Senator Anyanwu was duly elected at a national convention.
He further noted that Anyanwu has already appealed the judgment at the Supreme Court, meaning the status quo should be maintained until a final decision is reached.
The group also issued a strong warning against what they described as the influence of desperate power mongers, asserting that the actions of the Governors’ Forum and the BoT are “illegal, deliberately mischievous, and uncomplimentary” to the party.
Threatening to take action if their warning is ignored, the groups vowed to mobilize their members and supporters to block judicial premises and take civil actions if necessary.
Owolabi emphasized the need for unity within the PDP, stating:
“We consider it an imperative and dire need of the hour that, as a Party, we must begin by building consensus and form once more a united, formidable, and strong Party, striving to preserve the PDP as a veritable platform for good governance in Nigeria and not continue in the path of self-interest, self-distraught, myopic divisiveness, and pristine bickering which has not helped us but has become viable and fertile ground for the opposition to hatch inroads and poach into us, destroying our very fabrics.”
Reiterating their firm stance, Owolabi declared:
“We, therefore, join our voices and affirm unequivocal, unflinching, and unwavering support and loyalty of our organization and that of all party supporters to the ideals of the party and by extension to the office of the National Secretary.
“That Senator Anyanwu remains the National Secretary and the attempt to remove him and replace him with a judiciary-imposed secretary, without any Congress or legitimate procedural ratification of any organ of the party, is hereby totally rejected.
“We warn all detractors and perpetrators and indeed the Judiciary to steer clear of the internal workings of our great party and henceforth refrain from issuing illegal, baseless, porous judgments that lack legal foundation and are immoral.
“We are poised to mobilize all our members and teeming supporters to block all judicial premises and ensure civil actions that will lead to compliance with this warning if it is flaunted.”
