Tension is mounting within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as political camps reassess their strategies following the Supreme Court’s recent judgment, which strengthened the influence of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, in Rivers State politics.
Wike’s allies are celebrating the ruling, which handed control of the Rivers State House of Assembly to his loyalists.
Meanwhile, his opponents within the PDP leadership remain anxious as they await the Supreme Court’s decision on the party’s National Secretary position.
The contest for the office pits Senator Samuel Anyanwu, a Wike associate, against Hon. Sunday Udeh-Okoye, who enjoys the backing of the PDP Governors’ Forum and the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT).
The apex court has scheduled a hearing for March 10 on Anyanwu’s appeal against his removal, a ruling previously upheld by the Court of Appeal.
A major concern among PDP stakeholders is the proposed National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, which the PDP Governors’ Forum and BoT have been pushing to hold on March 13.
The party’s last NEC meeting was on April 18, 2024, with subsequent attempts to convene another session repeatedly postponed.
However, with the National Secretary’s office in dispute, the PDP’s National Working Committee (NWC) led by Ambassador Umar Ilyas Damagum is caught in a deadlock, preventing the NEC meeting from taking place.
Anyanwu, through his lawyer, Ken Njemanze (SAN), had challenged the Court of Appeal’s ruling, arguing that the lower court lacked jurisdiction over internal party matters and that forged documents were used against him.
He insists that his tenure, as outlined in the PDP constitution, is for four years and can only be terminated through resignation or removal via due process.
Sources within the party reveal that power blocs seeking to remove both Anyanwu and Damagum are hoping for an unfavorable ruling against Anyanwu at the Supreme Court.
If that happens, they plan to push for a NEC meeting that could oust Damagum as Acting National Chairman.
“We are waiting for the March 10 judgment. If it goes as expected, it will open the door for a fresh start in the party,” a PDP BoT member stated anonymously.
Wike’s camp has also been emboldened by a Federal High Court ruling in Abakaliki, which upheld the expulsion of Chief Ali Odefa, a former PDP Vice Chairman (South East) and key supporter of Udeh-Okoye.
Adding to the tension, Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, recently granted an injunction restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognizing Anyanwu’s removal as National Secretary.
Meanwhile, to avoid legal complications ahead of the Anambra governorship election scheduled for November 8, 2025, the PDP has refrained from allowing Udeh-Okoye to sign official documents despite mounting pressure from some stakeholders.
In a related development, the PDP National Secretariat has rejected a letter introducing the newly elected South-South Zonal Working Committee, chaired by Wike’s ally, Chief Dan Orbih.
The letter, addressed to Anyanwu as National Secretary, was repeatedly marked as “rejected mail” by the party’s Directorate of Mobilization, signaling further discord within the party.
