The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held a meeting at the party’s headquarters, Wadata Plaza, Abuja, on Wednesday, marking its first physical gathering this year amid a protracted internal crisis.
The meeting, led by acting National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum, comes after months of division within the party over the position of National Secretary. The dispute between Senator Samuel Anyanwu and Sunday Ude-Okoye had paralyzed the party’s organs, including the NWC, preventing regular meetings.
Initially, there were expectations that the National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, would address journalists after the meeting as he usually does. However, this did not happen.
But in a phone conversation with Daily Trust, Ologunagba simply described the meeting as routine, stating, “We met last Friday, and we also met earlier today. We discussed the upcoming zonal congresses in various zones.”
The Supreme Court recently dismissed a stay-of-execution application filed by the ousted National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, against Ude-Okoye, clearing the way for Ude-Okoye to resume his role as party secretary.
Thugs barricade secretariat, police intervene
Before the meeting, tensions escalated at the party headquarters when Emmanuel Okoronkwo, an aide to Anyanwu, attempted to block members from accessing Wadata Plaza.
In a video circulating online, Okoronkwo threatened to deal with what he called “unauthorized persons” attempting to enter the secretariat. He boasted that he was at the headquarters with his men to ensure only authorized individuals gained access.
Okoronkwo reportedly mobilised thugs to barricade the entrances, creating a hostile environment for party members and staff opposed to Anyanwu’s leadership. The situation required the intervention of security agencies, who whisked Okoronkwo away to restore order.
This is not the first time Okoronkwo has been involved in such incidents. He was previously accused of assaulting the recognized PDP National Secretary, Sunday Udeh, during a Board of Trustees (BoT) meeting at the party headquarters in the presence of BoT members.
Earlier this year, Okoronkwo also allegedly attacked Ndubuisi Orji of The Sun Newspapers, the deputy chairman of the PDP Press Corps, for writing what he deemed an unfavorable report about Anyanwu.
