The embattled National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Samuel Anyanwu, has revealed the reason why certain party leaders were trying to force him out of office.
Anyanwu while addressing the newsmen stated that some set of leaders of the party is trying to force him out because of his insistence to due process, respect for the rule of law, and a very good relationship with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike.
According to Anyawu, some of the member of National Working Committee and leaders from his zone (South East) is seeing him as a stumbling block to their political ambitions where they want to take over the structure of the party by force
He said, “I was validly nominated and elected as National Secretary of this great party at a national convention, and our constitution clearly spells out how a person occupying positions in the National Working Committee can be replaced if the need arises.
“I took time off to contest for the governorship of my state, and the Deputy National Secretary acted while I was away. Our constitution gives me the power to delegate functions to my deputy.
“It was strange that while I was campaigning, some people went as far as forging documents by illegally altering our party guidelines and inserted a clause that is not in the original document to say I must resign. The police is investigating I won’t say much on that.
“Everybody knows my relationship with (Chief Nyesom) Wike. We were local government chairmen and members of the PDP; I cannot deny him.”
Anyanwu accused some of the member of the PDP governors forum for working in cohorts with a section of the Board of Trustees (BoT) in pursuit of an agenda that will weaken the party for selfish interest
He noted that the advice of both bodies that Sunday Udeh-Okoye be immediately sworn in as the substantive National Secretary, following a Court of Appeal judgement was simply “a proxy war.”
Insight Media gathered that PDP leadership has been split into two by Wike’s loyalists as well as that of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, this happened immediately after Atiku defeated Wike in the 2023 presidential primary
However, four of the then fellow governors of Wike, felt betrayed with the way things went and decided to undermine Atiku’s presidential run, the dispute even degenerated further over a fallout between Wike and his successor, Rivers State Governor Siminalaye Fubara.
While Samuel Anyanwu and the party’s acting national chairman, Amb. Umar Damagum, are believed to be Wike’s supporters and have been the subject of relentless attacks by those opposed to them.
Anyanwu advised those who want him out to wait until the expiration of his tenure in December, 2025, to contest for the position during the party’s national convention.
