•PDP acting national chairman, Umar Damagum
Loyalists of the Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ambassador Umar Damagum, in the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), have summoned South-East stakeholders to a crucial meeting in Abuja.
An invitation for the meeting scheduled for tomorrow, was reportedly sent out via WhatsApp today, reports Vanguard.
Sources revealed that Damagum and his allies are working to rally support for the embattled National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, who is contesting his removal from office following two court rulings.
The controversy stems from an Appeal Court ruling in Enugu, which upheld a High Court decision removing Anyanwu and appointing Hon. Sunday Ude-Okoye as the PDP National Secretary.
Prior to the 2024 Imo State Governorship election, South-East stakeholders met in Enugu and nominated Ude-Okoye for the position of National Secretary, as Anyanwu had been chosen as the PDP governorship candidate for the state.
However, Anyanwu has filed a motion for a stay of execution and is appealing the ruling at the Supreme Court.
In a press invitation for coverage of the event, PDP’s Director of Publicity, Mrs. Chinwe Nnorom, noted that “critical stakeholders of the party in the South-East” had been invited to the meeting, scheduled for 2:00 p.m.
A member of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC), speaking anonymously, questioned the inclusiveness of the meeting, saying, “I wonder which stakeholders Damagum and co are talking about.
“The critical South-East stakeholders we know have already met and endorsed Ude-Okoye because the position was zoned to the South-East. Can you talk about critical stakeholders and leave out key figures like our Board of Trustees (BoT) Chairman, Senator Adolphus Wabara, and the National Vice Chairman, South-East? Let’s call a spade a spade. We’ll watch and see.”
The meeting adds another layer to the ongoing power struggle within the PDP, as the party continues to grapple with internal divisions over leadership positions.
