Leadership Tussle Looms In PDP As Imo Governorship Candidate Plots Return As National Secretary

By Ndifreke BASSEY

The national crisis rocking Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seems to gathering steam as the failed Imo state governorship candidate, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu, has concluded moves to return as the party's national secretary.

Senator Anyanwu was the PDP standard bearer in the just-concluded off-cycle November 11 governorship election in Imo and came second behind incumbent Governor Uzodimma.

Anyanwu was the national secretary of PDP and resigned to run for election but is trying to stage a comeback to the national leadership.

Anyanwu is working in tandem with Chief Nyesom Wike, FCT minister for his return to party leadership.

The former secretary's moves are seen in some circles as an attempt by Wike's camp to hijack the party.

This development has escalated the crisis within the national secretariat thereby causing sharp division between some governors and Wike's ally.

After the National secretary's resignation, he refused to hand over even as party leaders mounted pressure in hand to hand over to the former national youth leader of the PDP, Sunday Udeh Okoye, who was nominated by the Southeast to succeed Anyanwu.

A court order by the Federal High Court sitting in Enugu State had in October ordered the PDP to replace Senator Anyanwu as the party’s National Secretary but the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) did not enforce the order.

But the move to inaugurate Okoye a few days back was again stalled by Anyanwu who obtained a court order restraining the party from replacing him.