The Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Amb. Umar Damagum, on Tuesday led a delegation of top party leaders including governors to the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) in Abuja to discuss lingering issues surrounding the position of the party’s National Secretary.
Damagum, who was joined by PDP governors, including Seyi Makinde of Oyo, Dauda Lawal of Zamfara, Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau, and Bala Mohammed of Bauchi, among others, along with Senators Bukola Saraki, Ben Obi, Abba Moro, and Ahmed Makarafi, expressed gratitude to INEC for hosting the meeting.
The meeting was convened at the PDP’s request to clarify procedural matters and address legal concerns that have emerged in the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling on the party’s internal leadership structure.
He explained that the meeting was aimed at addressing confusion related to the party’s National Secretary, following both internal decisions and court rulings.
“We are here today, as you are aware, to have issues pertaining to the status of our National Secretary. We have gone into litigation, I think, from the beginning of last year until when the Supreme Court made a pronouncement of which INEC was a party,” he said.
Damagum added that the PDP’s National Executive Committee had instructed him to sign a letter to INEC, clarifying the party’s stance and preventing further controversy.
“We are here to interact sincerely with you off camera so that it will guide us when we get back to have a position.
“Most of my members that are here will also help in bringing out the position that we felt we should combat together,” he said.
Responding, INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu welcomed the PDP delegation, noting that the commission is always open to engagements with political parties.
He said: “This meeting is at the instance of the party. They requested to interact with us and our doors are always open to meet with leaders of political parties in our capacity as the registrar and regulator of political parties in Nigeria.”
Yakubu highlighted that the meeting was intended to address procedural irregularities in recent communications from the PDP, especially regarding its National Secretary.
“You may recall that not long ago we received similar visitors from the Labour Party. So when the PDP said it was going to visit, we welcomed them,” he said.
The INEC Chairman noted that the controversy began when the party invited INEC to monitor its 100th NEC meeting through a letter signed only by the chairman, without the co-signature of the secretary, as required.
“I am glad that that meeting was the 100th meeting of the NEC of the party, meaning that 99 times in the past you fully complied by inviting us by means of a letter signed by chairman and secretary of the party.”
According to Yakubu, INEC had been receiving conflicting communications regarding who holds the position of PDP National Secretary.
He said: “In the last couple of months we received letters from the party saying that one Ude Okoye was the secretary. Thereafter, the party changed its mind and said it was Samuel Anyanwu.
“Thereafter, the party changed its mind to say that it is Arch. Setonji Koshoedo, and again the party changed its mind to say it is Anyanwu. And the last letter from the party actually has no secretary at all. It was only signed by the chairman, which we responded to.
“We are here as the registrar and regulators of political parties and we hope when we go into the working session we will fully understand where you are coming from and what more you expect from us.”
Speaking to reporters two hours after the private meeting, Damagum said the discussions had been successful and that he would brief the party before sharing the outcome with the media.
Persecondnews reports that PDP’s internal turmoil began when Sen. Samuel Anyanwu was selected as the party’s governorship candidate for Imo State in November 2023, prompting the South East Zonal Executive Committee to nominate Rep. S.K.E. Udeh-Okoye as National Secretary.
In its ruling on the case, the Supreme Court had on March 21, 2025, ruled that the appointment of the National Secretary is an internal party matter, thereby upholding Udeh-Okoye’s position.
However, the court also nullified the judgments that had previously removed Anyanwu as National Secretary.
After the judgment, both Anyanwu and Udeh-Okoye claimed victory, with Anyanwu proceeding to act as National Secretary and submitting candidate names to INEC, despite some party members disputing the legitimacy of his role.
Leave a comment