BY PATRICK MGBODO WITH AGENCY REPORT
THE leadership crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is not nearing its end anytime soon, following the refusal of the embattled National Secretary, Sen Samuel Anyanwu to resign his position.
This is despite the party’s Board of Trustees’ plea at its National Executive Committee meeting for compromise and dialogue in resolving the lingering internal crisis.
Anyanwu, in an interview with newsmen yesterday in Abuja, said it was very disheartening that the party was plunged into an avoidable crisis because of personal ambitions.
He said there was no need putting the party in turmoil for personal or selfish interest, especially when the current National Working Committee (NWC) members had just about five months to finish their tenure.
The embattled national secretary also emphasised the need for the NWC members to work together in unity in the interest of the party.
Insisting that he was on the side of the law and remained the party’s national secretary, Anyanwu said, “There is no vacancy in the office of the PDP national secretary,” adding that did not resign his position when he went to contest for Anambra governorship election in 2023.
He said that he only wrote to Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that his deputy should act while he was on leave, which he did, adding that even if he was going to be removed, due process must be followed and that the position should remain in Imo.
“I was elected in October 2021 as the national secretary of this party. According to the zoning arrangement, it was zoned to the South and micro-zoned to South-East. Just like every other state in the south-east, it was zoned to Imo State. Every state in the southeast has a representative in the national working committee.
Anyanwu said that the south-east zone of the party could not recommend his removal because the office was not elected by only the zone but by the zones at the party’s national convention.
He said that a former National Vice-Chairman (South), Ali Odefa, who they were trying to replace him with was no longer a PDP member, claiming that Odefa had been expelled from the party by his ward, affirmed by his local government and then the state.
