ABUJA, Nigeria – Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has criticised the Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Umar Damagum, for directing Samuel Anyanwu to resume as the party’s National Secretary, calling the move “illegal” and a reflection of weak leadership.
Wike made the remarks on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, during the inauguration of interchange bridges along an arterial road in Abuja.
His comments come amid renewed tensions within the PDP over the rightful occupant of the National Secretary position, a seat contested between Anyanwu and Sunday Udeh-Okoye.
“I watched on national television and heard when the acting national chairman of PDP was directing the national secretary to resume,” Wike said.
“National secretary is not your appointee. He has been doing his work. You can’t call him to resume because of the illegalities you perpetrated.”
Earlier this week, Damagum had announced at a press conference in Abuja that Anyanwu would resume duties as National Secretary, following a resolution taken after a closed-door meeting between the PDP leadership and officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday, June 24, 2025.
“Anyanwu is resuming as the national secretary,” Damagum had said, acknowledging that the decision was a “difficult” one.
He was joined at the briefing by PDP Governors’ Forum Chairman and Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, Senate Minority Leader Abba Moro, and other party leaders.
However, Wike, a former governor of Rivers State and influential PDP figure, questioned the rationale behind Damagum’s statement and accused him of undermining the party’s structures.
“You did not show leadership; that is why you are where you are. It is nobody’s making,” Wike said.
“National secretary has been working and does not need anybody to direct him to work.”
The FCT minister also expressed dismay over the PDP’s internal handling of the issue and criticised the leadership for seeking INEC’s input on what he implied should be a settled matter.
“It is unfortunate that leaders of the party are meeting with INEC on whether to obey the Supreme Court judgment or not,” he added.
“When you shoot yourself, you say somebody shot you. Continue to shoot yourself; I will not be a party to that.”
The controversy over the National Secretary seat dates back to Anyanwu’s candidacy in the 2023 Imo State governorship election.
His absence from party affairs at the time led the South-East PDP leadership to install Udeh-Okoye as secretary, sparking a legal battle that has lingered through various court rulings.
Despite a December 2024 ruling by the Court of Appeal dismissing Anyanwu’s claim, the party leadership has now moved to reinstate him, a decision that appears to have further exposed internal divisions within the main opposition party.
