PDP ON THE BRINK: Power Tussle Tears NWC Apart Ahead of National Convention

The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has taken a dramatic turn, as a fresh power struggle within its National Working Committee (NWC) threatens to derail preparations for the party’s much-anticipated National Convention scheduled for November 15 and 16 in Ibadan, Oyo State.

At the heart of the raging storm is the controversial dissolution of the Akwa Ibom State chapter, a decision that has split the NWC down the middle and pitched Acting National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum, against National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, in a fierce battle for supremacy.

Damagum vs. Anyanwu: Clash of Authority

Damagum’s camp, backed by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, insists the dissolution was validly adopted during the 607th NWC meeting, allegedly attended by 16 out of 19 members. A caretaker committee, they argued, was necessary after reports that the state structure was compromised and openly aligned with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), under Governor Umo Eno.

But Senator Anyanwu, a known ally of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, has dismissed the move as “illegal, null, and void.” In a strongly-worded letter dated October 1, he declared that no formal sitting of the NWC ratified the decision, stressing that only the National Executive Committee (NEC) has the constitutional power to dissolve a state executive.

“The Akwa Ibom State Working Committee stands un-dissolved,” Anyanwu asserted, accusing Ologunagba of misleading the public with what he described as a fabricated announcement.

Unfazed by the backlash, Ologunagba hit back, branding Anyanwu’s objections as “a projection of personal interest above party interest.” He argued that the national secretary had no authority to nullify decisions taken by the NWC in his absence.

“It is not in the duties of the national secretary to unilaterally void collective decisions of the NWC simply because he disagrees,” Ologunagba said during a live appearance on Channels Television.

The standoff has once again brought to the fore the lingering battle between the Wike-led bloc and the mainstream PDP leadership. Last month, Wike, Anyanwu, and other influential stakeholders—including former governors Ayodele Fayose, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Okezie Ikpeazu, and Samuel Ortom—met in Abuja, warning that unresolved internal disputes could invalidate the upcoming convention.

Wike, never one to mince words, had earlier declared: “The issue of the national convention is not the problem; the problem is what happens before the convention. If these issues are not resolved, it may be a major setback.”

Adding fuel to the fire, PDP National Vice Chairman (South-South), Chief Emmanuel Ogidi, defended the dissolution, saying the caretaker committees for Akwa Ibom and Cross River were necessary to prevent opportunists from hijacking party structures after their governors’ defection to the APC.

“This was an NWC decision that must be respected. We cannot allow compromised structures to weaken the PDP from within,” he declared.

As the crisis escalates, fears are mounting that the November convention could be thrown into chaos if the warring factions refuse to sheath their swords. With both camps digging in, analysts warn that the PDP risks entering its national convention more divided than ever—raising questions about its readiness to challenge the ruling APC in the 2027 general elections.