PDP splits ahead of Ibadan convention as Wike camp, Damagum loyalists battle for control

The power struggle in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national working committee (NWC) has deepened the crisis in the opposition platform ahead of its national convention scheduled for November 15 and 16 in Ibadan, Oyo state.

The fresh discord stems from the decision of the divided NWC to dissolve the Akwa Ibom state chapter and set up a caretaker committee.

While Umar Damagum, PDP acting national chairman, approved the decision, Samuel Anyanwu, national secretary, voided it, saying there was no formal sitting of the NWC where the matter was ratified.

Anyanwu accused Debo Ologunagba, national publicity secretary, of misleading the party and the public with a fabricated decision.

Trouble started when the secretary rejected a directive from Damagum to summon an NWC meeting to deliberate on the composition of the Akwa Ibom executive committee.

Ologunagba said the caretaker committee was constituted to replace the state executive controlled by Umo Eno, governor of Akwa Ibom, who defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

But Anyanwu argued that any NWC meeting presided over by Damagum without his notice as provided in the PDP constitution is “illegal, null and void”.

He said it is his constitutional duty to take the minutes of such meetings, which was not done, adding that only the national executive committee (NEC) has the power to dissolve any state exco.

In a letter dated October 1, Anyanwu described the dissolution as “purported”, insisting that the Akwa Ibom exco “stands un-dissolved”.

Anyanwu is a known ally of Nyesom Wike, FCT minister, who has been at odds with Damagum’s leadership.

But Ologunagba dismissed Anyanwu’s position, saying the secretary went beyond his role.

“There was indeed a meeting of the NWC summoned by the national chairman in line with the constitution. It was attended by 16 of 19 members.

“The national secretary was absent, and having failed to issue the notice of meeting as directed by the chairman, the chairman exercised his powers under Section 29 of our constitution to summon the meeting.

“Decisions were taken, including the dissolution of the Akwa Ibom executives, and I was directed to communicate same. That is what I did,”,” Ologunagba said.

He added that Anyanwu’s rejection of the decision was “the projection of personal interest above the collective interest of the PDP”.

Emmanuel Ogidi, PDP national vice-chairman (south-south), also defended the move, saying the state structure had been compromised.

Last month, Wike’s camp, including Anyanwu, Ayodele Fayose, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Okezie Ikpeazu, Samuel Ortom, and some lawmakers, warned that failure to meet their demands would “render the proposed convention invalid as legitimate members of the party would be disenfranchised”.

Among their demands are fresh congresses in Anambra and Ebonyi, a new southeast zonal congress, respect for court rulings on the south-south congress, and the retention of the national chairmanship in the north-central zone.

Speaking recently on television, Wike warned that the convention may not hold unless internal disputes are resolved.