By Emmanuel Oloniruha
The embattled National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, has urged the party’s leadership to do the right thing in addressing the crisis surrounding his position.
Anyanwu, in an interview with journalists yesterday in Abuja, said people would be ready to make the necessary sacrifices if the right thing were done.
He said it was disheartening that the party had been plunged into an avoidable crisis due to the personal ambitions of some individuals.
Anyanwu said there was no need to put the party in turmoil for personal or selfish interests, especially when the current National Working Committee (NWC) members had just about five months left to complete their tenure.
He also emphasised the need for the NWC members to work together in unity in the interest of the party.
“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, having served the same organisation. Let nobody try to fragment the NWC,” Anyanwu said.
He insisted that he was on the side of the law and that he remained the party’s national secretary.
“There is no vacancy in the office of the PDP national secretary,” Anyanwu insisted, saying that he did not resign his position when he went to contest for the Anambra governorship election in 2023.
He stated that he had written to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) requesting that his deputy act in his absence, which he did.
He added that even if he was going to be removed, due process must be followed and that the position should remain in Imo.
“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 the South East.
“Just like every other state in the south-east, it was zoned to Imo State. Every state in the south-east has a representative in the national working committee.
“For instance, the national deputy treasurer comes from Enugu State, the National Auditor from Anambra State and the Deputy National Legal Adviser from Anambra State.
“So you can see that it is wickedness for anybody that wants to take something from Ebonyi State and put it in Anambra State when positions are evenly distributed.
“But assuming that I am no longer the national secretary, for instance, whoever will replace me must come from Imo State,” he said.
Besides, Anyanwu said that the south-east zone of the party could not recommend his removal because the office was not elected by only the zone but by the zones at the party’s national convention.
“I represent the nation, but it’s very disheartening that the governor of Enugu State insisted that this must go to Enugu State when Enugu already has somebody,” he said.
Anyanwu stated that Ali Odefa, a former National Vice-Chairman (South) whom they were trying to replace, was no longer a member of the PDP.
He claimed that Odefa had been expelled from the party by his ward, affirmed by his local government and then the state.
Anyanwu further stated that the decision was upheld by a High Court judgment, which included an order of perpetual injunction restraining Odefa from parading himself as a member or National Vice-Chairman of the PDP.
He said that the court also permanently banned him from presiding over or even attending any PDP meeting.
According to him, the judgment delivered on January 26 in suit number FFC/AI/227/2024 has not been appealed.
Anyanwu also said that he could not do anything to destroy a party that gave him a platform to actualise his political ambition.
He said that he had gone through psychological trauma, unnecessary blackmail, media blackmail and insults because he did not want to talk.
Anyanwu, however, said that while he had maintained his calmness for the sake of peace, he would not allow anybody to radicalise him or destroy the reputation he had built over the years.
“I will not give in to anybody trying to mess me up or mess my career up. It took me time to build my reputation.
“I’ve been a two-time local government chairman, two-term assembly member, went to the Senate, ran for governor twice and now national secretary,” he said.
Anyanwu wondered how his office had endangered those who were bent on removing him before the end of his tenure, advising those behind it to allow the sleeping dog lies.
“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 said.
He accused some of the party leaders of instigating the crisis rocking the party.
“Each time they talk about people de-marketing the party, all these PDP leaders who go on national television are the ones destroying the party.
“Instead of saying issues that can build the party, you are saying things that will destroy and de-market the party, and will now be accusing the Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike, because he’s my friend,” he said.
He said that Wike remained his friend and boss and that he would never deny him, no matter the level of intimidation.
Speaking at the Tuesday National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the PDP, Anyanwu said it was not an NEC meeting but a stakeholders’ meeting because he, as the party’s national secretary, was not present.
“If it is a NEC meeting, any decision taken there is an illegality because PDP is a party, an organisation, ruled by law, and we should respect our constitution,” he said.
In the current discussion about the coalition, Anyanwu stated that the PDP was not a party to any alliance or merger.
“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). Rather, it is other parties that will subsume themselves into PDP,” he said.
