The embattled National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Samuel Anyanwu, has alleged that some party leaders are determined to push him out of office due to his insistence on due process, adherence to the rule of law, and his long-standing ties with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike.
Speaking with Sunday Vanguard, Anyanwu claimed that certain political figures from the South-East see him as an obstacle to their ambitions, particularly in their quest to control the party’s structure.
“I was duly nominated and elected as the National Secretary of this great party at a national convention. Our constitution clearly outlines the procedures for removing an official from the National Working Committee, should the need arise,” he stated.
Anyanwu explained that while he temporarily stepped aside to contest the governorship election in his state, his deputy acted in his place, as permitted by the party’s constitution.
However, during his campaign, he alleged that some individuals manipulated party guidelines to falsely claim he was required to resign—a matter currently under police investigation.
“Everyone knows my relationship with Chief Nyesom Wike. We have been colleagues since our days as local government chairmen and loyal members of the PDP. I cannot deny him,” he added.
He further accused certain PDP governors of conspiring with a section of the Board of Trustees (BoT) to weaken the party for their own benefit.
Anyanwu dismissed the endorsement of Sunday Udeh-Okoye as his replacement—first by the PDP Governors’ Forum during their meeting in Asaba, Delta State, and later by the BoT—as a “proxy war” aimed at sidelining him.
The governors based their decision on a Court of Appeal judgment from Enugu, which recognized Udeh-Okoye as the legitimate National Secretary. The BoT later backed this position after reviewing a committee report led by Kabiru Tanimu Turaki (SAN), which recommended Udeh-Okoye’s immediate swearing-in.
Despite these developments, Anyanwu insists that the process surrounding his removal has been politically motivated and improperly handled.