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