A group of stakeholders in Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has insisted that Sen. Samuel Anyanwu remains the authentic National Secretary of the party, in line with the party constitution and other existing laws of the land.

The stakeholders, under the aggies of Concerned PDP League (CPDPL), stated this at a news conference by its Leader, Daboikiabo Warmate, on Friday in Abuja.

The news conference was sequel to the controversy surrounding the rightful occupier of the office of the PDP national secretary.

Warmate commended the disposition of the party’s acting National Chairman and Anyanwu on the mature manner in which they had handled the affairs of the party at these trying times.

He, however, expressed disappointment with the position of the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba; the National Legal Adviser, Kamarudin Ajibade and a federal lawmaker, Ikenga Ugochinyere, on the leadership crisis.

He also faulted the positions of the PDP Governors’ Forum and the Sen. Adolphus Wabara-led PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) advising the National Working Committee (NWC) to recognise Sunday Udeh-Okoye as the national secretary.

He said that the BoT’s advice disregarded the party’s constitution, adding that the tenure of some of its members had also expired.

He insisted that section 47 (5) of the party’s constitution, as amended in 2017, never compelled Anyanwu to resign his position as the national secretary while contesting the Imo governorship election.

Warmate added that there was no basis for Anyanwu to have resigned since he did not win the election nor sworn in as governor of the state.

He also clarified that Anyanwu never tendered any letter of resignation from his position as PDP national secretary while contesting the PDP governorship primary, which he won.

Warmate said that having emerged as the PDP gubernatorial candidate in Imo, Anyanwu only took his annual leave between April 18 and May 24, 2023 to enable him to concentrate on ensuring victory at the governorship election.

He explained that a letter was sent to INEC to notify it and that the deputy national secretary would act during the period.

He, however, said that due to inordinate interest, pressure was mounted on Anyanwu to resign, which he politely refused, in consonance with section 47(5) of the PDP constitution, as amended in 2017.

Warmate claimed that an Enugu High Court and the Appeal Court, Enugu Division, were misled in their judgements recognising Udeh-Okoye as the party’s national secretary.

He added that Anyanwu had already approached the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, where he secured an order restraining the implementation of the court judgments.

“The national secretary, Anyanwu, as a law-abiding leader of our great party swiftly, on Jan. 13, 2025, applied for a stay of execution of the judgment at the same Appeal Court in Abuja and it was granted.

“The stay of execution of the judgment was granted by no less a judge than the President of the court of appeal, and she enjoined all parties to maintain status quo ‘ante bellum’, pending the hearing and the determination of the motion on notice.

“In addition to that, he had already filed an appeal at the Supreme Court against the judgment too,” he said.

Warmate, however, advised Udeh-Okoye and his group to wait for the decision of the Supreme Court.

The PDP has been involved in a protracted crisis due to claims by both Anyanwu and Udeh-Okoye on the position of the party national secretary.

The PDP Governors’ Forum and the party’s BoT had earlier called on NEC to implement the court ruling recognising Udeh-Okoye as national secretary.

Ologunagba, in a statement on Monday, had said that after due consideration, the NWC overwhelmingly recognised and confirmed Udeh-Okoye as the substantive national secretary of the PDP.

Meanwhile, Anyanwu insisted that the NWC had not met to discuss the matter, claiming it was only deliberated upon via a WhatsApp platform, and that the issue still remained in court. (NAN)