•Anyanwu and Ortom
The much-anticipated sitting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Disciplinary Committee, led by High Chief Tom Ikimi, faced unexpected setbacks today as two key figures—Senator Samuel Anyanwu and former Benue State Governor, Sam Ortom—failed to appear.
Anyanwu, who insists on being the National Secretary of the party, reportedly informed the committee that he could not reschedule a prior medical appointment.
Meanwhile, Ortom rejected the committee’s invitation, reports The Nation.
His spokesman, Nathaniel Ikyur, told our correspondent that there was no valid reason for Ortom to attend the hearing at Legacy House.
“Up till 10 a.m. today (Wednesday), the former governor has not received any letter from the committee, even though the media is awash with reports of a supposed invitation. It is even more questionable that the letter references allegations of cyberstalking against the committee,” Ikyur stated.
A PDP insider revealed that the Ikimi-led committee had prioritised the appearances of Anyanwu, Ortom, and ten of Ortom’s loyalists from Benue State.
Since the committee was unaware of Ortom’s Abuja address, it opted to send the invitations—meant for Ortom and the ten Benue PDP members—to the state party chairman last Friday.
However, a February 11 2023 letter sent to the PDP Disciplinary Committee by the Benue state chairman of PDP, Hon Ezekiel A. Adaj,i and received during the committees sitting at Legacy House on Wednesday afternoon raised serious allegations that authors of the petition alleging anti-party activities against Ortom and ten others are likely to be ghost members of Benue PDP who authored their petition in the name of a non-existent group.
Among other suggestions, Adaji demanded that the petitioners should submit evidence to back their allegations, adding that “petitioners should also provide evidence of their membership of the Party, if any”.
Adaji’s letter titled ‘Re: Demand for Disciplinary Action Against Perpetrators of Anti-Party Activities in the Last General Elections in Benue State’ expressed amazement that the Ikimi Committee‘s letter on a petition dated September 6, 2004, was only received by him on February 11, 2025, while those targeted by the petition were being asked to appear before the Committee on February 12, 2025.
Adaji’s letter to Ikimi stated went thus: “Recall that pursuant to a letter, dated 6″ September 2024 on the above subject matter, written by a group that called itself “Benue PDP Youths Conscience,” which was referred to the PDP National Disciplinary Committee by the National Working Committee, you had sent a bunch of letters to me for delivery to members of PDP in Benue State against whom the petition under reference was written.
“Your letters, which were sealed in an envelope, were received by my Personal Assistant, at the PDP Benue State Secretariat, No. 16, Abdullahi Shelleng Road, High Level, Makurdi on Monday, 10 February, 2025 at about 4.00 pm. The bunch of letters was escalated to me on Tuesday, 11″ February, 2025 at about 10.00 am.
“I found from the bunch of letters that some members of the POP from Benue State were petitioned and invited to appear before the National Disciplinary Committee of the Party on Wednesday, 12% February 2025 at Legacy House, Maitama, Abuja.
“I regret to state that I am unable to deliver the letters to the various members of the Party who have been petitioned for want of sufficient time.
“Since the petition has been copied to the “Benue State PDP Caretaker Committee” which Is now the State Working Committee of the Party under my leadership, although no copy of the petition has been served on me or the Benue State Working Committee, I perused the said petition and do hereby observe as follows:
“That there is no group of the PDP in Benue State known as “Benue PDP Youths Conscience”
“That the people who have signed the petition have not identified themselves as members of the PDP and are unknown to PDP, Benue State Chapter;
“That the petition has not specified the acts consisting of the alleged anti-party activities. The petitioners have also not accompanied the petition with the “pictorial, voice and video evidence” (sic) which they intend to present at the hearing of the petition before the Disciplinary Committee.
Adaji went further: “In view of the foregoing observations, I do hereby suggest as follows:
“That the Disciplinary Committee may kindly reschedule the meeting and notify me in good time to enable me to convey the same to the petitioned members ahead of the date of the meeting to ensure their appearance before the Committee;
“That the petitioners should provide evidence of their membership of the Party, if any, to enable the Disciplinary Committee to ascertain the propriety of their petition;
“That the Disciplinary Committee may advise the petitioners to attach to the petition, the “pictorial, voice and video evidence” (sic) to enable the petitioned members to prepare their defence to the petition.
“I do hereby reiterate the determination of the PDP Benue State Chapter to work in consonance with the National Working Committee and all structures of the Party to reposition the Party to her pride of place in the political arithmetic of Nigeria, now and in the future,” Adaji stated.
