A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has thrown its weight behind Senator Samuel Anyanwu as the authentic national secretary of the party, while calling for the zoning of the 2027 presidential ticket to the southern region.
The group, which includes three former governors — Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), and Samuel Ortom (Benue) — made the resolution public after a strategic meeting in Abuja on Monday night.
Reading a communiqué on behalf of the group, Wike said, “We unequivocally affirm Senator Anyanwu as the truly elected substantive national secretary of our great party.”
The Wike-led camp insisted that only Anyanwu is constitutionally empowered to issue official notices for party meetings, including the national convention, the National Executive Committee (NEC), the National Working Committee (NWC), and national caucuses.
“All the notices not issued by him, including correspondences to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), are null and void,” the communiqué stated.
The group further demanded that the party leadership immediately declare its presidential ticket zoned to the South, describing it as a matter of “fairness” and constitutional alignment.
The meeting, insiders said, was convened to counter the planned national convention scheduled for August 28, during which new NWC members are expected to be elected.
Observers say Wike is using his clout within the PDP to forestall the convention and influence party structures ahead of the 2027 elections, potentially to benefit the incumbent APC administration.
Although Wike remains a PDP member, he has maintained a strategic alliance with President Bola Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), fueling suspicions about his intentions within opposition ranks.
The position of PDP national secretary has been a major point of contention. While Anyanwu insists he remains in office, Sunday Udeh-Okoye, a former youth leader of the party, claims legitimacy based on a 2024 Court of Appeal ruling which declared him the rightful occupant of the position.
Udeh-Okoye’s nomination by the South-East zonal executive committee followed Anyanwu’s emergence as the PDP governorship candidate in the 2023 Imo State election.
Despite obtaining injunctions to stop his removal, Anyanwu suffered a setback when the appeal court dismissed the initial high court ruling that favored him.
However, he filed an appeal and requested a stay of execution at the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court, in March 2025, declined to rule on the matter, describing it as an internal party affair.
This left the PDP’s leadership to resolve the crisis politically rather than legally.
In April, PDP governors recommended Setonji Koshoedo, deputy national secretary, to serve in an acting capacity until a candidate from the South-East is formally ratified by the NEC.
However, the crisis deepened when South-East stakeholders threatened to exit the party in May if Udeh-Okoye was not recognised as national secretary.
The PDP NEC is expected to deliberate on the matter during its next meeting scheduled for June 30.
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