Soldiers and Police have taken over the PDP Secretariat in Abuja.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that following a confrontation between Samuel Anyanwu and Sunday Ude-Okoye over the legitimate National Secretary position of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, security forces have taken control of the party’s secretariat.
The security presence includes soldiers, police officers, and personnel from the National Security and Civil Defense Corps, NSCDC.
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The conflict erupted when Anyanwu and Ude-Okoye arrived to attend the Board of Trustees, BoT, meeting. An aide of Samuel Anyanwu forcibly removed Ude-Okoye from the meeting shortly after it began, leading to a heated exchange between the two camps. Security operatives intervened to restore order.
The dispute over the National Secretary position has been ongoing since Anyanwu left to contest the Imo governorship election, which he lost. In his absence, the South East Caucus of the PDP endorsed Ude-Okoye as his replacement.
After Anyanwu’s defeat, his attempts to reclaim the position further deepened the party’s internal crisis. On December 20, 2024, the Court of Appeal in Enugu upheld a previous High Court ruling that removed Senator Anyanwu as the PDP National Secretary and confirmed Ude-Okoye as the rightful secretary.
Despite this, Anyanwu has filed for a Stay of Execution and an Appeal, with Dr. Musa (SAN) appointed as the party’s legal counsel by Damagum, triggering the latest round of conflict.