Security personnel comprising of soldiers, policemen and the operatives of National Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), have taken over the national secretariat of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja following the clash by elements loyal to the two contenders to the party’s national secretary position- Samuel Anyanwu and Sunday Ude-Okoye.
LEADERSHIP reports that the clash was over the authentic occupant of the office of National Secretary of the Party.
The altercation ensued after Anyanwu and Ude-Okoye arrived to attend the Board of Trustees (BoT) meeting of the party on Wednesday.
An aide to Samuel Anyanwu forcedly ejected Ude-Okoye from the meeting shortly after going into a closed-door meeting.
The development then led to an altercation between both camps before the intervention of security operatives.
The National Secretary position has been a contentious issue since Anyanwu left to contest the Imo State governorship election, which he lost.
In his absence, the South-East Caucus of the party endorsed Ude-Okoye to replace him.
After losing the position, efforts to reclaim his seat as the secretary has thrown the party into further crisis.
An Appeal Court sitting in Enugu had on December 20, 2024, upheld an earlier decision of a High Court removing Senator Anyanwu as the PDP National Secretary and affirmed Ude-Okoye as the authentic secretary.
Anyanwu has, however, filed for a Stay of Execution and Appeal.
