The ongoing leadership crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took center stage on Wednesday as the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) convened in Abuja amid controversy over the position of National Secretary.

The BoT Chairman and former Senate President, Adolphus Wabara, officially declared the meeting open at 12:05 p.m.

Among those in attendance were Senator Samuel Anyanwu and former National Youth Leader Sunday Ude-Okoye, both of whom are laying claim to the National Secretary position.

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Anyanwu was present from the start of the meeting, while Ude-Okoye arrived at exactly 12:10 p.m.

Shortly after proceedings began, the meeting moved into a closed-door session, with tensions running high as party stakeholders deliberated on the leadership dispute.

The crisis stems from the PDP’s internal wrangling over the National Secretary position. In 2023, the South East PDP nominated Ude-Okoye to replace Anyanwu after he was selected as the party’s candidate for the Imo State governorship election.

Party leaders from the region argued that Anyanwu should relinquish the role, but the situation escalated into a legal battle.

Recall that on December 20, 2024, the Appeal Court in Enugu ruled in favor of Ude-Okoye, recognizing him as the legitimate National Secretary.

The PDP leadership was officially notified of the ruling on December 24.

However, in a fresh twist, the Court of Appeal in Abuja last week issued a restraining order, allowing Anyanwu to retain the position until the Supreme Court delivers a final judgment.

More updates to follow……..

The ongoing feud among political leaders in Nigeria has seen the Labour Party join forces with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to tackle former Vice President, Atiku Ababakar.

The political dust was raised by allegations of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Nigeria’s 2023 election, Abubakar when he accused the ruling APC of distabilising the opposition of doling out as much as N50 million in cash inducements to weaken the opposition.

The APC in a statement on Tuesday, had vehemently denied these allegations, claiming the crisis rocking the PDP was borne out of Atiku’s personal ambition. The LP in taking sides with the APC in its own statement on Wednesday challenged Atiku to provide proof of his allegations.

This LP’s position was contained in a statement on Wednesday, in Abuja under the signature of its National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh.

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The LP strongly denied any form of external funding, including from its elected members.

Issued under the subject, ‘N50M bribe: Labour Party not under payroll of APC government, challenges Atiku to provide proof’, the LP challenged Atiku “to provide concrete evidence to substantiate his allegations without which Nigerians will be forced to take every other of his statements with a pinch of salt and politically motivated.”

The statement reads, “The Labour Party has said that its leadership is not aware of any bribe alleged to have been paid to the leadership of opposition parties in Nigeria by the All Progressives Congress led government. The party also said its leadership has never received a dime from any individual, group, organisation or government who are not members of the Labour Party.

“The party has however expressed shock and disbelief by the revelation from one of the leading political figures and former vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, insisting that it would be improper for the politician to throw a shade at the entire opposition without also putting forward a tangible proof other than a ‘gossip’ from an unnamed source.

“The former vice President while speaking at a national conference on strengthening democracy held in Abuja accused the ruling APC of allegedly offering opposition party leaders N50 million each to undermine Nigeria’s democratic process.

“We are shocked that a high caliber politician who has contested election all his life and often regarded as a very experienced politician could make such a wild, unguarded and unfounded statement.

“For us in the Labour Party, a party which has remained the strongest and most veritable opposition and which speaks truth to power; a party that led the most serious campaign in the 2023 general election and has been steadfast and has remained the voice of the people, we view that statement as demeaning, ignominious, reckless and a let down from someone like Atiku Abubakar.

“We want to put it on record that the Labour Party has ran a frugal administration from funds internally generated, having not received supports from our elected representatives. And in spite of the challenges the party has face(d) in the recent past, the leadership of the party has remained solid and committed to the ideals of the party.

“The leadership has not received any salary from anybody. Salaries are not hidden and it is not difficult to verify who and who are on the government payroll. It is a public document and it can be verified. We therefore advise Atiku to be circumspect and careful in generalizing certain allegations. We expect him to speak for himself and his party.

“The opposition is the oxygen of any virile democracy, because it helps put the government in power in proper checks while also ensuring inclusivity in democratic participation. Democracy without opposition is an autocracy and it takes a lot of sacrifices to sustain opposition. It is therefore frustrating and unpatriotic when leaders who ought to know better, begin to derive joy in denigrating the opposition camp and making jests of their sacrifices.

“We are therefore calling on Atiku Abubakar to provide concrete evidence to substantiate his allegations without which Nigerians will be forced to take every other of his statements with a pinch of salt and politically motivated.”

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Nigeria’s 2023 election of culpability in the crisis rocking opposition parties in Nigeria.

This was contained in a statement on Tuesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka.

The statement was issued under the subject, ATIKU, YOUR POLITICAL DESPERATION IS RESPONSIBLE FOR PDP’S CATASTROPHIC DISINTEGRATION.

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It reads, “The former Vice President and Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 presidential election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, like a badly broken record, has continued to point fingers at the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the festering rot in his party, and the spectacular dysfunction of opposition parties generally.

“At the national conference on Strengthening Democracy in Nigeria held in Abuja on Monday, January 27, 2025, Atiku, warned that the nation’s democracy was somewhat imperiled by judicial involvement in electoral matters. Also, without a shred of evidence, Atiku alleged that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was paying certain opposition leaders a whooping 50 Million Naira each to discombobulate opposition parties in the country.

“It was in the Atiku era as Vice President, particularly in 2003 and 2007, that the PDP conducted the worst elections in our political history. We cannot possibly forget how Atiku’s PDP heavy-handedly captured most South-West states and vowed to remain in power for 60 years. It was in those same years that Atiku’s former boss and then President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, infamously described election as a “do or die affair” in a desperate attempt to annex Lagos. If democracy was neither derailed nor endangered in those perilous days, is it now that elections are by far freer, fairer and more credible that Nigeria risks losing democracy?

“The judicial branch of government is a constitutional creation like the executive and legislative branches with its constitutionally defined powers to adjudicate disputes among citizens and between citizens and the state. Atiku cannot wish away or seek to abolish enshrined power of the courts to intervene in civil disputes, including electoral disputes, in cases where the authority of the court is validly invoked by a litigant.

“It is a thing of irony that Atiku, who is Nigeria’s most prolific electoral litigator, would make such a ludicrous claim that judicial involvement in electoral matters is a threat to democracy. His criticism of the courts and the electoral process rings hollow given his long history of using the courts to further his political agenda. It’s time for him to take a step back and let the democratic process unfold without his interference.

“Nigeria’s democracy is far stronger than Atiku’s political ambitions. We deserve better than petty politicking and alarmist rhetoric from an elder statesman. As a veteran politician, one would expect Atiku to understand that while democracy may be about winning election, it is, more importantly, about respecting the will of the electorate and working towards the greater good of all. Atiku should focus on rebuilding his party and offering constructive solutions to Nigeria’s challenges.

“Atiku’s allegation that the APC-led administration was paying out 50 Million Naira to some opposition figures is simply bogus and laughable. Atiku knows that his political desperation is responsible for the PDP’s catastrophic disintegration. Peddling rumors and unsubstantiated allegations should be beneath anyone in the standing of an elder statesman, a former Vice President and a serial contestant for the exalted office of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“The bizarre suggestion by opposition figures like Atiku, Peter Obi, and recently, aggrieved leaders like Mallam Nasir El-Rufai that our great Party may be complicit in the internal corrosion of opposition parties is pitiful, and only an incompetent alibi for their crass failure to manage their own affairs. They cannot govern their parties but tout their ability to govern Africa’s most populous country.

“As discerning citizens, Nigerians know better than to be distracted by the false alarm and hollow allegations of desperate politicians whose only goal is shore up their political relevance in the build up to 2027 general elections.”