PDP Stands Firm: NEC Meeting Was Constitutional, Says Party Leadership

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has officially responded to the growing controversy surrounding its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held on May 27, 2025, asserting that the session was both properly convened and constitutionally valid. The party leadership made the declaration following disputes raised by high-ranking members including the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and the party’s suspended National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu.

The row stems from statements made by Wike and Anyanwu, who have publicly discredited the legitimacy of the NEC meeting. Wike, a former governor of Rivers State and a prominent figure within the PDP, described the session as a mere “stakeholders’ meeting.” He argued that since the National Secretary did not issue the formal notice of the gathering, it lacked the necessary constitutional grounding to be recognized as an official NEC meeting.

Supporting Wike’s position, Senator Anyanwu claimed he neither authorized nor participated in the planning of the event. He further questioned the inclusion of Chief Ali Odefa, the Deputy National Chairman (South East), in the proceedings, alleging that Odefa was suspended by his ward, local government, and state chapters, rendering his attendance and input invalid.

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Speaking to journalists in Abuja last week, Anyanwu declared, “I did not call the meeting. I was not involved in summoning it. As such, I maintain it was not constitutionally backed, and the presence of individuals like Odefa makes it null and void.”

In direct rebuttal to these claims, PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, addressed a press briefing at the party’s national headquarters, affirming that the NEC meeting adhered strictly to constitutional procedures. “This party operates a constitution, and it talks about how to convene a NEC meeting. The constitution is very clear. It is the chairman of the party that summons NEC,” he stated.

Ologunagba emphasized that the acting National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum, duly summoned the meeting following protocols, including prior notification and formal scheduling after the party’s 600th National Working Committee (NWC) session. “The chairman summoned it and presided over it. So if the chairman presided, I would be wondering why it would not be a NEC meeting,” he asserted.

He dismissed the dissenting voices as distractions from the party’s primary goal of unity and national relevance. “We have gone beyond all of that. This party is on a path to unity. Internal squabbles cannot derail our broader mission of securing democracy and representing the Nigerian people,” Ologunagba added.

The internal disagreement underscores the ongoing power struggles within the PDP, as factions jostle for influence ahead of the 2027 general elections. Senator Anyanwu’s position as National Secretary has been under contention for months, with conflicting reports over his suspension and reinstatement. His exclusion from the recent NEC activities appears to be a culmination of long-standing tensions.

Meanwhile, Chief Ali Odefa has yet to publicly respond to the accusations leveled by Anyanwu, though party insiders insist that no formal suspension has been recognized at the national level. Many see the insistence on Odefa’s disqualification as a tactical maneuver to influence internal party leadership dynamics.

Political analysts view the ongoing discord as both a test and an opportunity for the PDP. With increasing pressure from rival parties, especially the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the PDP must navigate these internal fractures carefully. A failure to reconcile factions could damage the party’s chances in future elections, while successful conflict resolution may reinvigorate its image as a viable opposition force.

In spite of the storm, the PDP leadership is calling for calm and collective responsibility. Ologunagba reiterated that the party remains open to dialogue but warned against public attempts to discredit constitutionally sound decisions. “We understand disagreements, but they must not come at the cost of unity. We owe the Nigerian people a functioning opposition and a hope for genuine democratic governance,” he concluded.

As the dust settles on the NEC meeting controversy, all eyes remain on the PDP to see whether it can restore internal order and consolidate its position as Nigeria’s leading opposition party.