Govs, BoT kick as Saraki panel fuels fresh PDP crisis

 The crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party continues to escalate with no resolution in sight, despite the appointment of former Senate President Bukola Saraki and six others to a reconciliation committee ahead of the May 27 National Executive Committee meeting.

Saraki

Senior party sources who spoke to Sunday PUNCH revealed that the Saraki-led panel’s endorsement of Senator Samuel Anyanwu’s return as National Secretary had created more problems.

Our correspondent learnt that the decision did not go down well with the PDP Governors’ Forum, members of the National Working Committee, the Board of Trustees, and other party stakeholders, thereby reigniting tension within the party.

The PDP has been grappling with internal conflict since the 2023 elections, which intensified in December 2024 when the South-East zonal caucus and a lower court recognised former National Youth Leader, Sunday Udeh-Okoye, as the National Secretary.

Although PDP governors, the BoT, and the NWC accepted the court’s decision, Anyanwu contested it at the Supreme Court.

On March 21, the court dismissed his removal, ruling that internal party issues were not within the judiciary’s purview.

Following the verdict, on April 14, PDP governors requested the South-East to put forward a new nominee, resulting in the selection of the Deputy Scribe, Setonji Koshoedo, as Acting Secretary.

The NWC later approved his nomination during its 600th meeting on April 29.

Despite these moves, disagreements over the National Secretary position continue to divide the party’s leadership.

To resolve the crisis ahead of the May 27 NEC meeting and the August elective convention, current and former governors appointed Saraki to head a seven-member reconciliation committee.

On May 14, The PUNCH exclusively reported that Saraki, after a meeting on May 12 with the Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN), and National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, gave Anyanwu the green light to resume as National Secretary.

This decision angered the South-East Zonal Caucus, led by Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah and PDP BoT Chairman, Adolphus Wabara.

In a meeting on Wednesday, they unanimously reaffirmed Sunday Udeh-Okoye as their preferred candidate for the role and warned that they might reconsider their commitment to the PDP if their decision was not respected.

A senior PDP leader, who spoke to Sunday PUNCHon condition of anonymity, disclosed that the South-East caucus, along with Mbah, the BoT Chairman, Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri, and some members of the NWC, were upset that the Saraki-led panel endorsed Anyanwu’s resumption without consulting them.

The source stated, “There is renewed agitation over the way Saraki handled the situation. He met with just a few NWC members and decided that Anyanwu should resume office as National Secretary, without consulting the full panel, the entire NWC, or even the governors who assigned him the task.

“I can tell you that some governors like Seyi Makinde, the Enugu State governor, the Zamfara State governor, and even the Bayelsa State governor are not happy about it. They see it as a deliberate move to undermine them and portray them as weak.

“Even some NWC members are uncomfortable with the decision. They expected the Saraki-led panel to meet with them before arriving at such a conclusion.

“Remember, things had been relatively calm since the governors nominated and the NWC approved Koshoedo as National Secretary, until Saraki’s meeting with a few NWC members stirred things up.

“What the governors, the BoT chairman, and several NWC members want is peace within the PDP. They want the interest of the South-East, which made the nomination, to be protected and respected, not for the party’s unity to be sacrificed in favour of a few individuals.”

A PDP chieftain told Sunday PUNCH that the name of the Deputy National Secretary of the PDP was forwarded to the Independent National Electoral Commission as the party’s scribe.

“I am aware that as of Wednesday, Koshoedo’s name was forwarded to INEC; he is the recognised secretary of the party as of today. I am not aware of any other arrangement outside that,” the source said.

Another party insider confirmed that the decision to endorse Anyanwu did not go down well with many of the party leaders.

He, however, warned that defying the Supreme Court’s ruling could have disastrous consequences for the PDP.

“The recent uproar is because the panel understands the law and upheld the Supreme Court judgment in favour of Anyanwu. Saraki did not personally clear Anyanwu; the panel simply respected the Supreme Court ruling, which was the right thing to do.

“Nigeria is not a lawless country. If these leaders choose to disregard the Supreme Court judgment, it could be used against the party in the future. Remember, we are talking about the position of National Secretary—that’s like the engine of the party. If this continues, it could affect the party’s National Executive Committee, the National Elective Convention, and even future elections,” the source said.

Sunday PUNCH’s attempts to get a response from Saraki through his media aide, Yusuph Olaniyonu, and from the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, were unsuccessful, as neither of them answered their calls as of press time.