The embattled National Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Chris Anyanwu, Monday, resumed his official duty contrary to growing speculations and anxiety as to whether or not he was going to respect the court pronouncement that ousted him last year.
Before now, party stakeholders envisaged crisis and feared that possible clash between Anyanwu and another claimant to the position, Sunday Ude-Okoye, might escalate the already tensed situation in the party as both gladiators remained adamant.
As a way of averting any possible clash among their supporters, the Nigerian Police were seen monitoring the situation around the PDP secretariat when our correspondent got there around Monday at 10:41am.
The presence of security agents at the party headquarters, Wadata Plaza, Wuse Zone 5, Abuja, according to our findings, validated fears earlier raised by concerned party stakeholders that there could be chaos.
In 2024, Blueprint reports that Ude-Okoye was declared the substantive National Secretary by the Court of Appeal sitting in Enugu.
But Anyanwu countered, insisting he remains the legitimate officeholder, citing his appeal of the court ruling at the Supreme Court as grounds for maintaining the status quo.
“I’m still the National Secretary. The status quo remains because I’m on appeal,” Anyanwu was quoted as saying.
Although Ude-okoye was not in sight as at the time of filing this report, Anyanwu, who reported to office came with a handful of supporters and was accosted by journalists after his arrival.
While fielding questions, he said: “Well, as you can see, I am in the office, just like you heard last December, precisely the 20th of December, the appeal court in Enugu took a dissenting judgment.
“But as a matter of fact, what the law says is that I should appeal, and I appealed the matter, appeal for stay of execution, an appeal to the Supreme Court.
“Obviously what it means is that the position will remain as it is until it is determined by the Supreme Court. Today is our resumption day.
“What I have to say is that this party belongs to the people, not to an individual, not to a person, not to a group, but to the people.
“Because this is the only party that took power away from the military and this party is in every family in Nigeria.
“So I always ask for our party faithful to be strong, to remain firm with the party, and let’s work together in 2027, it’s possible for us to get that presidency, which all of us have been suffering from and that’s why we’re here anyway.”
On the position of the party’s national publicity secretary, Debo Ologunagba, over the issue, Anyanwu declared: “His position on the court pronouncement is his and not the opinion of the party.
“He only just made a statement, and as National Publicity Secretary of our party, I don’t want to disparage him on any medium.
“Maybe he didn’t get the facts correct, or probably he never knew that the matter has been appealed, and it’s in the Supreme Court.
“And he’s a lawyer, so he should understand that that is the position of the law.’
…PDP shocked
But during a telephone conversation minutes after, the party’s publicist, Hon. Ologunagba, said the party had not received any stay of execution.
Ologunagba described Anyanwu’s resumption as unfortunate, adding “this is not the time for the party to go through this kind of embarrassing situation. We are a country of rule of law and order.
“If you have a stay of execution, it’s a process. You have to serve the parties involved. As I said, the party, PDP, has not received either a notice of motion for a stay or been served a stay of execution. I don’t know where that is coming from, but the party has a process. When the document comes in, I will be made aware through the legal adviser. As we speak, I have no information at this time that the party has been served either a motion for stay or a stay of execution.
“I am not going to predict what the party will or will not do. I know very well that when you have a stay of execution, there’s a process. When you apply for a stay, there is a motion you must have filed and served before the court can listen to that motion and take action.
“As I speak to you, this party has not received a motion on notice for a stay application, nor, to my knowledge, has the party received a stay order granted by a court of competent jurisdiction.”
Continuing, Ologunagba said: “It’s just unfortunate that this drama is going on, but again, what is more condemnable is the attempt to resort to self-help. We have information about the activities of thugs from Niger State. We are privy to the communication involved, including the emails that were sent by bank transfer. We have details of that. All of these were done at the behest of Senator Anyanwu. It is unfortunate that a former senator should be a lawbreaker. There is a process; let’s agree on the rule of law. We have no personal issues with him. I don’t think the party has personal issues. He went to court and appealed the case but did not let the process proceed.
“As I’ve said before, we don’t do self-help. It’s a process. We are a law-and-order party. Because we are a law-and-order party, that is why we don’t act impulsively. We see the hand of the third force in this matter. We suspect that, unfortunately, some members of the party are being used by the ruling party to disturb us so that the party will have issues going into the next election because of the fundamental failure of the APC.
“Having said that, we are a party of law and order. We will follow through with the process. We don’t do self-help. We are not in the jungle.
“PDP will continue to do what is in the interest of the party, in accordance with the law and the constitution. Don’t forget, the judgment granted is a declaratory judgment. That cannot be stayed. It’s clear.
“If they have applied for a stay, let the court decide one way or the other. And whatever the court decides, this party will abide by that.”
…Protest erupts at party secretariat
Meanwhile, protesters loyal to the Court of Appeal-removed National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Sam Anyanwu, Monday, stormed the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, opposing the anticipated resumption of Sunday Ude-Okoye.
The protesters, who gathered at the rear gate of the PDP Wadata Plaza headquarters in Wuse Zone 5, chanted slogans such as “No vacancy in the National Secretary’s office” and “Senator Sam Anyanwu remains the National Secretary.”
Blueprint gathered that security was beefedup at the premises, with additional police officers deployed to maintain order and prevent any disruption while a police lorry has been stationed outside the main gate.
Also, the operatives were seen working alongside PDP regular security team to search workers and visitors before granting them entry into the building.
At the time of filing this report, no national officer of the party had arrived at the secretariat.