Peace continues to elude the leading opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as a fight broke out at the party’s headquarters, where a meeting of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) is currently taking place.
At present, the crisis-riddled party, being battered with self-inflicted problems for the last four years is holding its BoT meeting at its Wadata House National Headquarters on Wednesday.
The violence ensued as Samuel Anyanwu and Sunday Ude-Okoye clashed over the position of National Secretary of the party.
Both men laid claim to the position at the ongoing PDP Board of Trustees, BoT, meeting at the party’s national headquarters in Abuja.
Ude-Okoye arrived the venue of the meeting before Anyanwu and acting National Chairman, Ambassador Iliya Damagum.
But, when Anyanwu arrived, Ude-Okoye was forced out of the meeting by suspected thugs, a situation that led to an altercation.
This led to Ude-Okoye screaming and urging his supporters to prevent his ejection.
It was around this time that journalists were asked to give way for a closed door session.
The position of the PDP National Secretary has been a contentious issue since Anyanwu left to contest the Imo governorship position which he lost.
In his absence, the South-East Caucus of the party endorsed Ude-Okoye to replace him.
After losing the Imo governorship election, Anyanwu returned to the party’s national secretariat to reclaim his seat as National Secretary, triggering a fresh crisis in the opposition party.
An Appeal Court sitting in Enugu had on December 20, 2024, upheld an earlier decision of a High Court removing Anyanwu as PDP National Secretary and affirmed Ude-Okoye as the authentic holder of the position.
Anyanwu had accused the party’s former South-East Zonal Vice Chairman, Ali Odefa, of plotting his removal from office.
Anyanwu has, however, filed for a Stay of Execution and Appeal, with Dr. Musa (SAN) nominated as the party’s legal counsel by Damagum, the crux of the new impasse.
Ude-Okoye later came to the gate, lamenting injustice as Anyanwu’s men were allowed into the Secretariat but his own supporters were denied access.