The embattled National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sen. Samuel Anyanwu, has urged the party’s leadership to do the right thing in addressing the crisis surrounding his position.
Anyanwu emphasized the need for the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) members to work together in unity in the interest of the party.
In an interview with newsmen on Wednesday in Abuja, Anyanwu said, “We came here as a united family. It would be nice for us to go as a united family so that we can still meet tomorrow and say we are brothers, we served an organisation.
”Let nobody try to fragment the NWC.” He insisted that he was on the side of the law and that he remained the party’s national secretary.
Anyanwu’s tenure as national secretary is almost over, with only five months left.
However, some party leaders are trying to remove him from office. Anyanwu argued that the position of national secretary was zoned to Imo State and that he cannot be removed without due process.
He said, “I was elected in October 2021 as the national secretary of this party.
”According to the zoning arrangement, it was zoned to the South and micro-zoned to South-East. Just like every other state in the south-east, it was zoned to Imo State.”
Anyanwu emphasised that the south-east zone of the party cannot recommend his removal because the office was not elected by only the zone but by the zones at the party’s national convention.
Anyanwu also claimed that Ali Odefa, a former National Vice-Chairman (South) that some party leaders were trying to replace him with, was no longer a PDP member.
He said Odefa had been expelled from the party and that a court had delivered a judgment affirming the expulsion.
Anyanwu warned those behind the crisis to allow the sleeping dog to lie.
He said, “My position will end by December. Election is 2027. Primaries is 2026.
”I will not be there. So what would my position now do?” He accused some party leaders of instigating the crisis rocking the party.
On the current discussion about coalition, Anyanwu said that PDP was not party to any coalition or merger.
He said, “PDP is the first party and the only party that retrieved power from the military.
”At every nook and cranny of this country, you must always find PDP. So we cannot (go into any coalition or merger).”
