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PDP crisis: NEC decision on Anyanwu a trap – Atiku’s camp kicks amid ADC adoption

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Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s camp has suggested that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, might be walking into a trap of President Bola Tinubu’s ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to destroy the opposition party.

This is even as the camp described the recent decision of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the PDP, affirming Samuel Anyanwu as the National Secretary as a scam, saying it doesn’t work.

This comes amid adoption of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, as the official platform of the opposition coalition.

The decision on Anyanwu has apparently further buried whatever is left of the PDP, with many members, especially in Atiku’s camp and beyond set to dump the umbrella party.

Ekwutosblog reported that the NEC on Monday seemingly ended months of internal conflict that threatened the stability of the party.

The PDP Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagun, while addressing journalists after the 100th NEC meeting, held behind closed doors at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, announced that the party members agreed that Senator Anyanwu will continue to act as national secretary.

 

“As you can see, we just rose from our 100th NEC meeting. This meeting was a one-agenda meeting, which was to discuss the outcome of our interaction with INEC as regards the national secretary. We’ve all converged, we were all together, and we all agree that Senator Anyanwu will continue to act as national secretary,” Damagum said.

Ekwutosblog reports that the decision came less than one week after PDP leaders met with INEC leadership to resolve the party’s signature crisis.

The leadership crisis over Anyanwu’s position dates back to 2023 when he emerged as the PDP’s governorship candidate in Imo State.

 

His candidacy generated internal debate over whether he could retain his role as national secretary while running for office.

Anyanwu insisted on retaining his position as national secretary despite contesting for office.

The South-east chapter of the party and some members of the NWC had also backed SKE Udeh-Okoye as his replacement.

Speaking to Ekwutosblog concerning the decision by the PDP NEC, on the matter, Paul Ibe, media aide to Atiku said the resolution was a script, insisting it does not work that way.

Ibe claimed that those at the center of the crisis were in cahoots with the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC, saying they cannot be the ones trying to resolve the crisis.

He said: “How can you have a resolution of whatever may be the crisis that the party – a major opposition party – is going through, when the people, the ones at the center of the crisis, are in cahoots with the ruling party, and are also the same ones trying to resolve the issue?

“It is all a script. It does not work that way. These are the same people who are in bed with the ruling party, focused on destroying the party. They cannot be the ones trying to resolve the crisis.

“Why were the members of the party, who are working in bed with the All Progressive Congress, APC, harassing and intimidating members of the BoT who had come out for the meeting, necessitating a change of venue?”

Atiku’s aide also condemned the alleged intimidation of some of the NEC members by the security agencies, leading to a change in the venue of the meeting.

Ibe cautioned that the party should be careful of walking into a trap of the ruling APC to destroy the opposition party.

“If we answer these questions, the party will begin to realize that it is walking into a trap of Tinubu’s ruling party to destroy the opposition party. Some of them are enablers.

“They are part of the script. Until the right things are done, we will continue to see it all as a scam.

“We also condemn in its entirety the action of some members of the party who are in bed with the ruling APC in using police to intimidate NEC members, the highest organ of the party, who had come out to hold a meeting as endorsed.

“It’s a replica of what’s seen under a military dictatorship. What they are trying to do is to force us into a one-party stateship,” he cautioned.

However, a former National Auditor of the PDP, Barr Ray Nnaji, told Ekwutosblog that the PDP NEC took the right decision.

According to Nnaji, the party, especially the Governors Forum, was supposed to have taken the necessary steps, noting that they didn’t do what they ought to have done.

He, therefore, called on the leadership to start rebuilding the party.

Nnaji said: “Let me be frank with you, that’s the right decision the party should have taken from day one because they made a mistake not to have acted proactively.

“From the fact that Senator Samuel Anyanwu went for an election, they ought to have rallied round – if they were not pushing for him to come back – and take a decision.

“And then immediately, get an acting secretary and submit his name to the Independent National Electoral Commission as a replacement, so that when he comes back it will not be easy for him, assuming he didn’t resign his position before going.

“They just left it open. And immediately he came back after losing the gubernatorial election, he just resumed and nobody seemed to have been interested.

“If they had acted proactively, especially my governor, who didn’t show any interest in party politics right from time only for him to wake up very belatedly and is now championing a cause he knows it’s not proper because Senator Sam Anyanwu was an elected person.

“And being an elected person, for you to remove him, it’s either by resignation or some many other things as provided in the constitution.

“So the idea of nominating another person when his tenure elapsed belatedly caused a problem. If they had acted proactively, they would have actually foreclosed Anyanwu from coming back.

“Look at what’s happening to the Acting National Chairman, by now they are supposed to have replaced him with another person from North Central immediately after Iyorcha Ayu left.

“But it didn’t take place. Now to remove the Acting National Chairman is going to be a difficult task because they left it for a long time.

“The party is supposed to have taken steps, especially the Governors’ Forum, they didn’t do what they ought to have done.

“They allowed Nyesom Wike to have a field day only to realize he was rightly going to deal with most of them.

“That’s why they are now coming back, even when the matter had gone to the Supreme Court, it seems not to have been resolved.

“Now they have taken a decision because it was going to cause a problem to the party as only the National Chairman now signs nomination forms and correspondence without a National Secretary.

“They are now realizing that it’s better to take Sam Anyanwu as the National Secretary, and that’s the best. Let them start by rebuilding the party.”

Meanwhile, political leaders in Nigeria’s opposition parties, as well as some members of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, gathered in their numbers on Wednesday in Abuja during the unveiling of the ADC as the official platform of the opposition coalition.

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Anyanwu, Abdurahaman, Bature, others Emerge PDP Nat’l Caretaker Committee

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By Chimezie Amadi, Abuja

Senator Samuel Nnaemeka Anyanwu, Abdurahaman Mohammed, and Umar Bature amongst others have emerged national caretaker committee to pilot the affairs of the party leading to the conduct of national convention within 90 days.

This followed the gradual winding off of the tenure of the present Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Working Committee (NWC) which ends on Tuesday, December 9, 2025. The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party has constituted a National Caretaker Committee to run the affairs of the party, pending the conduct of a national convention.

This decision was taken at the 104th NEC meeting of the party held in Abuja on Sunday, December 7, 2025.

The 13-member Caretaker Committee has Hon. Abdulrahman Mohammed as Chairman and Senator Samuel Anyanwu as Secretary.

Other members of the Caretaker Committee are; National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN), National Organising Secretary, Hon. Umar M. Bature, Dr Kyari Grema, Hon Janguda Haruna Mohammed, Barr. Okechukwu Osuana, Senator Nwogu Olaka, Senator Sandy Onor, Prof Adenike Ogunse, Hon. Bisi Kolawole, Engr Deji Doherty, and Dr Ibrahim Bala Aboki.

The Caretaker Committee has been mandated to run the affairs of the party for a period of 60 days, during which all pending congresses should be conducted and a national convention should be held.

Similarly, a frontline political structure in Imo State, Divine Mandate Movement (DMM) has applauded the emergence of its founder and leader of PDP in the Southeast, Senator Samuel Nnaemeka Anyanwu as Secretary of the committee.

According to DMM, the appointment marks a crucial step toward stabilizing and repositioning the party as it prepares for its forthcoming National Convention.

DMM therefore commends the National Executive Committee (NEC) for its wisdom in selecting individuals of proven competence, loyalty, and integrity to steer the affairs of the party at this pivotal moment. “The responsibility before the Caretaker Committee is immense, and party faithful across the country as well as the wider Nigerian public look up to them with great expectations”.

“The nation expects a leadership that will uphold internal democracy, restore unity, and reinforce the values that have long distinguished the PDP. We are confident that the newly inaugurated committee will work diligently, transparently, and inclusively to rebuild confidence among members and strengthen the party’s structure nationwide.”

“As the party marches toward its National Convention, we urge all stakeholders to give the Caretaker Committee the full cooperation needed to carry out its mandate effectively. This is a time to close ranks, reaffirm shared ideals, and demonstrate unwavering commitment to the progress of our party and our democracy.”

The DMM furtger pledges its full support and calls on all party members to embrace peace, discipline, and collective responsibility.

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Barr, Chief Willie Amadi retires from active partisan politics.

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Former Federal Commission
er/Ombudsman in the Public Complaints Commission Nigeria and immediate past Chief Technical Adviser to the Government of Imo State on Environment, Barr. Chief Willie Amadi, says there is a hopless and total loss of confidence by the common man in the Nigerian Judicial system.

This is even as Barr Amadi opined that the situation could also be blamed on the the prevailing and increasing daily hardship in the country due to unabated bad governance by both the political class, civil servants and business men doing business with governments at all levels.

The London and Nigeria trained legal practitioner, former Special Adviser on Sanitation & Transport and pioneer General Manager of Imo State Environmental Transformation Commission,
under which his Clean & Green initiative won the cleanest State capital award in the country on three consecutive time back to back, regretted that the deliberate and sustained diminishing of the powers of our critical regulatory institutions such as the EFCC, CODE OF CONDUCT BUREAU, POLICE, INEC and most unfortunately and sadly, the once revered JUDICIARY by the political class amounts to the burial program of our great nation. These institutions have now become lame ducks and totally subservient to the whimps and caprices of the ruling class and foreigners with vested and manipulative interests in our mineral and natural resources.

Amadi, an Environmentalist who recently unveiled his second book, “The Ombudsman and Justice Delivery in Nigeria~ Challenges and Prospects”
expressed shock that our apex court which is today on serious trial, has turned to “the main hope of corrupt men and no longer, the last hope of the common man”

He further lamented that the prevailing “lack of consequences” syndrome which has become the norm today has given today’s power brokers and nouveau de rich the impetus to deliberately and recklessly breach the law with impunity as nothing will happen, because their actions are now condoned by the judiciary, going by the avalanche of negotiated, scary and shameless judgments delivered without any shade of justice component. This ugly development have not only scared many foreign investors whose business cannot be protected by the Nigerian judicial system in the event of breach, but has also psychologically dehumanised and discouraged citizens from seeking redress and justice through our law courts. Barr. Amadi warned that forcing citizens to resort to self help remedy as an alternative by the helpless citizens may be the delicate way forward with dire consequences, if care is not taken. A Stitch in time, therefore will save nine he advised.

Barr Amadi equally wondered if the rich leaders who are in power today have noticed that “temperatures” are rising daily on the streets and could occasion a sudden mob reaction from the poor masses. He warned that immediate enthronement of good governance, rule of law and protection of citizen’s fundamental rights, remains the only escape route for the very near future.

On whether it is imperative to restructure the Nigeria judiciary, the National Assembly and by extension the Country. Amadi regretted that while both arms of government have been dangerously compromised and bought over by the Executive arm they are supposed to monitor, it is only the preservation of strong institutions that can guarantee good governance in Nigeria as experienced in other climes where strong institutions hold sway, dictate and guide on authorities on due process and decisions to be taken in governance. He cited the powers of the police and the courts, particularly the Supreme Court of the United States and the recent avalanche of Executive Orders signed by the POTUS. He recalled that late Senate Presidents Okadigbo, Nnamani and Speaker Ghali Nabba led National Assembly were the last presiding officers of the National Assembly that brought dignity, honor and integrity to the legislature. He reasoned that any restructured sub nationals without strong institutions will still experience the same failure of a federation like we are currently experiencing.

On rising insecurity in Nigeria, he recalled that the issue of insurgency and sponsored criminality including unreported genocide against Christians in Nigeria from 2015 till date, eventually culminated in forcing the United States of America to finally and rightly designate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern”. The protracted insecurity of today, he recalled, began with the clear sabotage of the Jonathan’s administration using the Chibok girls saga, a trap which was designed to stop Jonathan’s second term bid.

Surprisingly, that escalation later boomeranged under late President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration who pretentious support for foreign criminal elements and religious extremists entry into the country through an open boarder control and passages for his 2015 Presidential election became a thorn in the flesh of the administration after the election.

Sadly, Buhari failed to manage the self infliction, which eventually messed up his administration, an administration which condoned an unprecedented massive looting and outright embezzlement of our commonwealth by a section of the country including the destruction of values of good governance, accountability and management of the economy.

According to him, the present administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu inherited the huge mess and it does appear that the administration could be paying for and or attoning for their sins in the conspiracy leading to the 2015 Presidential election against Goodluck Jonathan.

On the recent threat by President Donald Trump on invading Nigeria to stop the genocide and flushing out the rampaging terrorists, Barr Amadi advised the country to quickly leverage on the United States likely intervention and appeal to the American government to establish a military base in Nigeria in order to permanently eradicate this hydra headed insurgency and ultimately tranquilize the Sahel region. The legal luminary insisted that the buck stops on Mr. President’s table, and as such, he alone takes full responsibility for the escalating insecurity in the country. He insisted that Mr. President must act fast and ignore naive and mercantile diplomatic opinion analysts to avoid further damage to a fractured nation.

On the issue of Imo Charter of Equity, the Owerri Nchise-born socialite, politician and clan High Chief of the five autonomous communities of Owere expressed optimism that an Imo Governor of Owerri Zone extraction shall emerge in 2027, God willing.

He announced of his retirement from active partisan politics on his 65th birthday on November 30th 2027, but added that during the transition period, he will continue to Chair the Social Media sub-committee at Imo Harmony Project, an umbrella body of eminent Owerri Zone sons and daughters that is strategically pushing for an Imo governor of Owerri Zone extraction, when he believes that, his involvement and contributions in politics will be rested with the blessed assurance of the Charter of Equity.

Barr Amadi, a scholar and doctorate degree candidate of Law said that he will focus on research, writing and teaching of law in the Universities, post 2027.

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Buhari Ex-aide, Bashir Ahmad Reveals Next Two Governors to Join APC

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Bashir Ahmad, ex-media aide to former president, Muhammadu Buhari has boasted that two governors will decamp to the All Progressives Congress, APC in a matter of days.

He stated this in a post on his X page on Tuesday.

According to him, the governor of Taraba state, Agbu Kefas and another of his counterpart from the North West, will join the ruling party “in a matter of days”.

Ahmad wrote: “In just a matter of days, the Governor of Taraba State and another Governor from the North West will officially join our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).”

As at June 2025, at least two incumbent governors had decamped to the APC.

They include Pastor Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom State) and Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta State).

The governor of Enugu, Peter Mbah, is heavily rumoured to be the next to jump ship.

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