The ongoing crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has taken a dramatic turn as divisions emerge among members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) over their allegiance to Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike.
The two political heavyweights have been locked in a fierce battle for control of the party, following their falling out several months ago.
At a press conference held on Friday at the PDP headquarters in Abuja, the party’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Ibrahim Abdullahi, discredited a statement made by the party’s official spokesperson, Debo Ologunagba, regarding the crisis in Rivers State. Abdullahi claimed that Ologunagba was not authorized to speak on behalf of the NWC concerning the matter.
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“For the avoidance of doubt, not even the said judgment has been served on the party. The NWC has neither received nor sat to take any decision on the said judgment,” Abdullahi declared.
“The NWC hereby distances itself from the calculated falsehood aimed at achieving a predetermined objective,” he added.
He further urged PDP members and the public to disregard the publication, saying, “Members of the public, especially the PDP family, are hereby enjoined to disregard and discard the publication, which is merely the figment of the NPS’s imagination.”
Earlier, Ologunagba had issued a statement affirming the Ewor-led executive as the legitimate state leadership and calling on them to cooperate with Governor Fubara.
Addressing the ongoing debate over the party’s national secretaryship, Abdullahi stated, “Senator Samuel Anyanwu remains the substantive national secretary until that suit, the appeal before the Supreme Court, is determined. That’s the position of the law. That is what the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria provides.”
He continued, “Where there is an appeal, it only behooves the appellant to wait until the determination of the appeal. That is the position of law.”
In response to questions about his authority to address the press instead of Ologunagba, Abdullahi explained, “I was also elected in the same convention. By virtue of our duties, I enjoy the same powers to speak for this party.”
He accused Ologunagba of acting unilaterally and failing to adhere to due process. “In the manner that my colleague (Debo Ologunagba) has demonstrated lately, it’s becoming very glaring and clear that the party is having discomfort with some of his disposition lately. He seems to have been speaking from both sides of his mouth. Only yesterday (Thursday), I issued, on the directive of the national chairman, a disclaimer on the position of the party where he spoke and issued a statement that the party, the NWC, sat and accepted the judgment in River State, recognising the Ewor-led EXCO.”
He added, “The NWC has not sat since September last year. So I wonder where he will now say the NWC sat and adopted and accepted the verdict recognising the Ewor-led state EXCO in River State.”
“A national publicity secretary does not enjoy such powers. He cannot speak for the NWC without clearance with the NWC. That is not the position of law. That is not expected of him as a lawyer. So, we have now come to a level where the sentiment that he has allowed to becloud his reasoning is beginning to take a toll on his job,” Abdullahi concluded.
This latest development highlights the deepening cracks within the PDP as it struggles to resolve internal disputes and maintain cohesion ahead of future political challenges.
