Office of National Secretary Not Vacant Yet, Says PDP

•Wike faults party’s BoT chair on pronouncement

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has dismissed reports that the office of its national secretary was vacant, saying there was no such thing.

But the Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike, while reacting to the development earlier, took a swipe at the chairman of Board of Trustees (BoT) of the party, Senator Adolphus Wabara, as a busybody, because he didn’t have the authority to declare who could occupy the office of national secretary of the party.

Wabara had in a letter to the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) asked Samuel Anyanwu to resign as the party’s national secretary on the ground of being the governorship candidate in the November 11 election in Imo State.

National Publicity Secretary of the party, Debo Ologunagba, who said the office of national secretary was not vacant, said Anyawu had yet to be relieved of his duty.

“The attention of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been drawn to a statement by a group mischievously purporting that the NWC has relieved our Candidate in the November 11, 2023 governorship election in Imo State, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, of his elected position as the National Secretary of our great Party,” he said.

He said the claim was false as the NWC did not at any time relieve or contemplate to relieve Anyanwu of his position.

“The NWC, therefore, strongly condemns the action of this group which is obviously the handiwork of those who intend to embarrass, cause disaffection and division in our party in their attempt to distract the PDP, our candidate, Senator Anyanwu and the people of Imo State in the quest to rescue the State from the stranglehold of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

“The NWC states and cautions that no matter how strongly an individual or group feels about an issue, resorting to fabrications, lies and claiming of a non-existent decision by the NWC is highly condemnable,” he said.

On his part, Wike, while replying Wabara expressed dismay that the former senate president referred to Emeka Ihedioha as “former governor of Imo State” in his letter to Iliya Damagun, acting chair of the PDP.

His words: “Your Excellency, permit me to observe with respect that the Board of Trustees (BOT) lack the moral authority to intervene on the issue of who occupies or should occupy the Office of the National Secretary of the Party.

“This is more so as the BOT was unable to use its good offices as the conscience of the Party to intervene in the crises that engulfed the Party in the run-up to the 2023 General Election when Officers of the party blatantly violated the Constitution of the Party.

“Secondly, the Ag. Chairman of the BOT is reminded that the issue of who occupies the position of National Secretary of the Party is beyond the BOT’s sphere of authority and influence.

“Indeed, if and when a vacancy occurs, the responsibility of deciding who and how the vacancy will be filled is that of the entire Southern States to which the position was zoned and not only the South East geopolitical, as your letter under reference appears to be suggesting.”