By Dansu Peter The deepening leadership crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has taken a fresh twist, as a looming face-off br...
By Dansu Peter
The deepening leadership crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has taken a fresh twist, as a looming face-off brews between the Deputy National Secretary, Architect Setonji Koshoedo, and Senator Samuel Anyanwu — a known ally of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike — over the party's National Secretary position.
Despite a recent directive by the PDP Governors’ Forum asking Koshoedo to step in as Acting National Secretary, Anyanwu, who was recently reinstated by the Supreme Court after protracted legal battles, has refused to vacate the position. He insists on resuming duty at the PDP national secretariat in Abuja after the Easter holiday, setting the stage for a possible showdown.
Sources within the party revealed that Koshoedo is equally poised to assume the role assigned to him by the governors, following their resolution last Monday in Ibadan. The governors had asked Koshoedo to serve in an acting capacity pending the nomination and ratification of a substantive secretary from the Southeast.
The move, initially aimed at de-escalating tensions, now appears to have further intensified the crisis. The PDP has been plagued by internal fractures since its 2022 presidential primaries, and the latest leadership tussle has only reopened fresh wounds.
Tensions are further inflamed by the fact that Anyanwu remains closely aligned with Nyesom Wike, a powerful figure whose influence has continued to polarize the party. Insiders suggest that this connection is a key reason why several governors are pushing for Anyanwu's removal.
Anyanwu, elected in November 2021, remains defiant, insisting that his tenure runs for four years. “I remain the National Secretary of the PDP,” he declared. “This is not the first time some people are attempting to circumvent the constitution and ignore valid court orders.”
He argued that the Supreme Court’s judgment reinstated him and nullified earlier rulings that his opponents had relied on. He also referenced a Federal High Court order from January that explicitly restrains Koshoedo or any other person from acting as National Secretary.
Koshoedo’s supporters, however, insist that the legal terrain has shifted. They argue that the Supreme Court essentially threw the ball back to the PDP to resolve the matter internally, and that the appointment of Koshoedo — being next in line — is constitutionally sound.
“After the holidays, Architect Koshoedo will take up the role at Wadata Plaza,” a source close to him said. “The court merely urged the parties to reconcile under the party structure, and that’s what the governors have facilitated.”
Meanwhile, doubts are being cast on the authority of the PDP Governors’ Forum itself. Critics within the party, such as Ladan Salihu, have questioned the constitutional basis of the governors’ interventions, warning that their growing influence threatens internal democracy.
Salihu, a former DG of FRCN, stated on Channels Television that the governors’ recent decisions resemble an overreach. “It appears the Governors’ Forum is usurping the powers of the National Executive Committee (NEC), and that is unconstitutional,” he said.
As both camps dig in, party insiders warn that the unresolved power struggle could further derail reconciliation efforts and deepen factional divides ahead of key political battles.
With Koshoedo and Anyanwu refusing to back down, and governors clashing with legal interpretations, the PDP risks slipping deeper into chaos, unless a unified position is urgently agreed upon by its top leadership.
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