The National Working Committee (NWC) of the crisis-ridden Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rose from its first meeting in over five months on Wednesday, creating the impression of a quick return to peace.
However, the security situation around the Wadata Plaza national secretariat, where the closed-door meeting was held, painted a different picture.
A few hours before the meeting, scores of thugs took over the entire building, preventing easy access for members.
Sunday Ude-Okoye, the Court of Appeal-imposed new secretary of the PDP, who eventually attended the meeting, was threatened—along with his colleagues—by aides of the removed former secretary, Sam Anyanwu.
However, the situation took a sudden turn when security personnel arrived and forcefully arrested the leader of the thugs.
In a brazen attempt to disrupt the meeting, Emmanuel Okoronkwo, an aide to the ousted National Secretary, Senator Samuel Nnaemeka Anyanwu, led thugs to block the entrance of the party’s national headquarters.
This incident is the latest development in the ongoing leadership crisis within the PDP, as Samuel Anyanwu continues to lay claim to the position of National Secretary after an Appeal Court in Enugu rejected him.
The Supreme Court has reserved its judgment on the case.
The meeting, which was also the first after the Supreme Court threw out a motion for a stay of execution of a High Court judgment removing Senator Anyanwu from office, was dramatic due to Ude-Okoye’s official welcome to the secretaryship.
Although the meeting’s agenda was not made public, it was gathered that discussions included arrangements for the upcoming Anambra Governorship election and the pending Supreme Court case over the secretaryship tussle.
A party source familiar with the matter, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: “Of course, the issue of the screening of aspirants for the Anambra election, as well as the Supreme Court decision, featured.
“We formally welcomed Ude-Okoye into our fold. This is the first physical meeting the NWC is holding this year. The party is making progress slowly, and we have to tread with caution until we hear from the Supreme Court again on the substantive suit regarding the National Secretary position.”
The conduct of the zonal congresses was also discussed, it was learned.
