The main opposition party in the country, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seems to be sinking deeper into the mire of implosion as discordant tunes and flying court orders appear to dog every step in its attempt to stay strong in their quest to wrest power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) come 2027.
Latest on the discordant tunes is the crisis rocking the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party following the latest court judgement affirming the Governor Siminalaye Fubara faction of the party’s Rivers State executive as authentic.
While the Debo Ologunagba faction welcomed the judgment which restored control of the party in Rivers State to Fubara, the factional Publicity Secretary loyal to the Umar Damagum faction, Ibrahim Abdullahi disclaimed the acceptance of the court verdict, thereby raising more dusts to attest to the fact that all is not well with the main opposition party.
Ologunagba said, “The NWC acknowledges receipt, considered, and hereby accepts the judgment of the Rivers State High Court, which in Suit No. PHC/2301/CS/2024 nullified the Ward, Local Government, and State Congresses of our party in Rivers State conducted on July 27, August 10, and August 31, 2024, respectively.
“Consequently, in line with the judgement of the Court delivered on Monday, January 13, 2025, the NWC affirms the Hon. Nname Robinson Ewor-led Rivers State Executive to henceforth pilot the affairs of the PDP Rivers State Chapter in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of the PDP (as amended in 2017).”
He further extended the NWC’s commendation to the court for reaffirming what he described as, “the famed position of the PDP as the bastion of transparency in the due process of internal democracy and strict adherence to the Rule of Law and Party Guidelines in the conduct of Congresses and other activities.”
However, Abdullahi noted that the opinions expressed by Ologunagba in the said statement “were figments of his imagination” and did not represent the position of the NWC.
“The NWC did not accept the judgment in Rivers State recognising the EWO-led ex-co. That’s not true. The NWC has not sat since September last year. This is subject to your verification.
“And so I wonder where he will now say the NWC sat and adopted wholly, or accepted the verdict, recognising the EWO-led state exco in River State.
“Not only that, only recently, he spoke about the judgment in Imo State, wherein a court, you know, they affirmed the expulsion of Imo Ugochinyere from the PDP.
“Even before the normal processes were adhered to, which is that the information from the ward where he was expelled or suspended was transmitted to the LG, the local court, and then to the NWC.
“Even before this was done, Debo went to the press by issuing a statement that Ugochinyere was not expelled.
“A national publicity secretary does not enjoy such powers. He cannot speak for the NWC without clearance with the NWC.
“That is not the position of law. That is not expected of him as a lawyer to do. So we have now come to a level where the sentiment that he has allowed to becloud his reasoning is beginning to take a toll on his job.”
Abdullahi explained that unlike Ologunagba, his statements and press conferences were always guided by instructions of the party, under the leadership of Damagum.
He said, “Debo will never tell you I was directed to do so. He would use his whims and caprice. And you are not at liberty to use your discretion when speaking for a party where there is constituted authority.”
Addressing a press conference at the national secretariat of the party in Abuja, Abdullahi said most of the press conferences and statements released or addressed by Ologunagba were his personal opinions as he was not directed by the party to so speak.
He specifically mentioned the party’s position on who is the National Secretary of the party, affirming that Senator Samuel Anyanwu remains the substantive national secretary, until the Supreme Court says otherwise.
He said that in view of the various court documents before it that the party affirmed Anyanwu as the substantive national secretary until the Supreme Court decides otherwise.
According to the deputy national Publicity Secretary, ”We have called you here today to inform you of the latest developments in our party as regards the position of the National Secretary.
”In the last few days, issues surrounding the authentic National Secretary of our party have been in the front burner of our discussion. On Wednesday, 15th January,2025, we were served with an Order Of Interim Injunction issued by the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory(FCT) Maitama, in a suit instituted by the Imo State PDP Chairman Hon Austine Nwachukwu through his counsel, Clement Mue.
”In a Suit marked: CV/64/2025, which has the PDP as the first defendant, our Acting National Chairman, Amb Iliya Damagum, the Deputy National Secretary, Hon. Setonji Koshoedo, the National Executive Committee(NEC) of the party, National Working Committee(NWC) of the PDP, and the Board of Trustees(BoT) as 2nd to the 6th defendants respectively.
”Similarly, we were yesterday served with a Stay Of Execution Order by the Court of Appeal (Abuja division) in the judgment of this Court in appeal No CA/E/24/2024,between Peoples Democratic Party & anor V. Aniagu Emmanuel & 2 Ors. delivered on the 20th day of December,2024, pending the hearing and determination of the appeal filed at the supreme Court of Nigeria
”This order comes with an injunction Restraining the 1st Respondents, their agents, privies, or otherwise however described from enforcing or giving effect to the judgment of this Court delivered on the 20th day of December,2024, pending the hearing and determination of the appeal filed at the Supreme Court, both of which I hereby present for your kind note.”
The deputy national Publicity Secretary who said that he was directed by the national chairman and national secretary in line with section 35 (1) (e) of the party constitution said with the ex parte application, the Judge restrained the PDP’s Acting National Chairman, the National Executive Committee(NEC), the National Working Committee(NWC) and indeed the Board of Trustees (BoT) from removing Anyanwu, pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice, before it.
He noted that among others, according to the court processes, the plaintiff in the suit, Nwachukwu was asking the court to determine whether by the provisions of Articles 47(1) and 48(1)of the PDP, 2017(as amended)and the judgment of the Federal High Court in the case of Hon. Geoffrey Ihetunge and others against Peoples Democratic Party and four others in Suit No: FHC/ABJ /CS/1580/2023,delivered on January 9th, 2024,which is valid and subsisting….,the defendants can appoint any person as Acting National Secretary of the PDP in place of Senator Samuel Anyanwu who is the elected National Secretary of the PDP and whose tenure of office shall elapse on December 9th, 2025.
Accordingly, the deputy national Publicity Secretary of the party said, ”we are obliged as a law-abiding party, to respect the order of the court and also send a legal representation to defend the party in the suit when the Motion on Notice comes up on January 8th, 2025,and February 5th, 2025, for hearing, on the originating summons.
”We hereby appeal to all PDP members to be restrained and law-abiding in waiting for the final position of the court on this matter.”
In the meantime, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has criticised what it described as the apparent double standards exhibited by the Nigeria Police Force in handling the leadership crisis within the PDP at the national and state levels.
The association accused the police of acting as a partisan tool to destabilise the opposition, particularly by supporting actions that undermine court rulings and the rule of law.
HURIWA pointed out two glaring instances of police complicity that highlight the erosion of professionalism within the force.
“First, the illegal occupation of the PDP National Secretariat by former National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu, who was validly removed by the Court of Appeal.
“Despite this judicial pronouncement, Anyanwu has defiantly occupied the office, allegedly backed by influential figures, while the police have failed to enforce the court’s decision. “Second, in Rivers State, the police actively barricaded the PDP state secretariat following a High Court judgment that dissolved the faction of the party leadership purportedly handpicked by Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
“This has prevented Governor Siminalayi Fubara, who was declared the rightful party leader, from reorganising the party to avoid a vacuum,” it stated. Arise News