By CHARLES IWUOHA

The embattled National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Samuel Anyanwu, has again cleared the air on key issues surrounding his position and the ongoing internal wrangling in the party.

In a recent press briefing, Anyanwu stated unequivocally that his decision to contest the Imo governorship election while retaining his post as National Secretary was constitutional.

He clarified that this provision was not created by him but was part of an amendment carried out during the tenure of Prince Uche Secondus as National Chairman of the PDP.

According to him, Section 47 of the PDP Constitution permits elected party officials to contest other elections without vacating their posts. ?I didn?t amend the constitution. I inherited what was already in place,? he emphasized.

Anyanwu went on to say that since his election on November 23, 2023, and the court judgment he obtained on January 9, 2024, affirming his position, he has remained active in duty without relenting.

He challenged those claiming he is no longer the secretary, stating that such claims render every document he has signed, from state congresses to governorship nominations for the said period, null and void if they were true. So, if you can take the document he signed as legit during his stay, why can?t you accept him in person.

Speaking on the question of INEC?s recognition, Anyanwu recounted: ?The chairman of Governors? forum went to INEC and confirmed from them that I?m the national secretary, some people said it?s not true.

The organising secretary went to same INEC and confirmed, they still said it?s not true, the legal adviser gave his own opinion, they said it?s not true. Now, people who said it?s not true went to INEC, and confirmed to them. And they went to stakeholders meeting, and didn?t say it open.?

This is contained in a statement issued on Sunday by Prince Ify Chijoke, SA Media and Publicity to the PDP national vice chairman, Southeast zone.

He also debunked c?aims of PDP?s involvement in any coalition or merger talks, saying he was the first to speak publicly against it, before the governors followed suit. According to him, PDP remains a national party that first took power back from the military, and with structures in every corner of the country and is not desperate to merge into any alliance. ?Others should join us, not the other way around,? he said.

Addressing some of the individuals behind the recent tensions in the party, Anyanwu didn?t mince words. He criticized those parading themselves as South East PDP leaders, stating that some of them, including BOT Chairman and Achike Udenwa, attended the same coalition meeting before coming to hold a so-called stakeholders? meeting aimed at removing him.

He recalled his long-standing conflict with Udenwa who went to Arie TV to demarket him, dating back to when he supported Senator Araraume for Imo governorship while Udenwa was in office. According to him, Udenwa has never liked him since then. From when he was a local government chairman, Udenwa never liked me, for he suspended me that period he said.

?They held a coalition meeting on Sunday with Atiku and Ben Obi and then rushed to hold a stakeholders? meeting just so they could claim I?m no longer secretary. After that, they?ll return to their real party,? he said.

He asked tough questions: ?What is really going on? Who is making things easy for APC? Who are they? Why this desperation??

Anyanwu also produced and handed to Journalists a court judgment affirming Hon. Goodluck Chidiebere Egwu as the authentic South East Vice Chairman of the PDP, rendering anything Ali Odefa is doing illegal.

?If the PDP is honest, and want?s to uphold that constitution responsibility, devoid of internal mechanism of resolving issues, then they should obey the order. We are an institution that believes in the rule of law, and if we don?t do that, why then are we to acuse another political party of violating the rule of law, when you can?t uphold your own constitution,? Anyanwu added.

He emphasized that only a convention, not a backdoor political maneuver, can remove him from office. He was elected by party delegates from across the country, not just the South East, and his tenure remains valid until December.

?I campaigned, went around states, and was elected, and my position is for four years which the constitution guaranteed. The next convention is by August or October, and we have about four or five months to go. Why will you want to put a party into a turmoil? Why will you wanna sacrifice me? And a man who had been rejected by his people and affirmed by the court is attending a meeting. What kind of aberration is that? And you think I will sit and watch.

?It?s not about making sacrifice, it?s about doing the right thing. It?s only when you do the right thing before it can be said that someone is making a sacrifice. You?ve gone to INEC, and INEC affirmed, so what?s wrong saying that he is the national secretary of the party? And what will I do between now and the convention to injure the party if at all. And why will I be irresponsible to injure a party that gave me a platform.?

He reminded the public that unlike others who have left and rejoined the PDP, he has remained loyal since 1999.

?Some of these people have left the party and came back, some came midway. But I?ve been with this party since 1999 till date, I?ve never gone out and come back, I?ve remained. In my state, we?ve had governors that embraced the PDP.

?When Ohakim came through PPA, we are PDP, we converted him to the PDP as a governor. Rochas was governor for eight years, I never left the party. I ran for senate, I defeated his candidate as a seating governor. From house of assembly, I went straight to senate, that?s how popular I?m.?

?Why would anyone want to throw the party into turmoil when we have just a few months to go? What exactly would I do between now and the convention that would injure the party? And why would I want to sabotage the very platform that has carried me this far??

He concluded with a sober reflection: ?This problem is man-made. That?s why I asked ? is there something going on we don?t know about? Or is it what I think it is? If not, then this entire crisis is totally uncalled for.?

Senator Samuel Anyanwu?s position is not just about personal defense, it is a strong reminder that political parties are governed by rules, not sentiments. At a time when Nigeria?s democracy is being tested on many fronts, the PDP cannot afford to be distracted by internal power tussles driven by ambition, ego, or vendettas.

His Insistence on constitutionalism, party discipline, and respect for due process should serve as a wake-up call to all stakeholders. If the PDP truly seeks to reclaim its position as the leading voice of democracy and good governance in Nigeria, then it must begin from within by respecting its own structures, obeying court orders, and protecting those elected to serve.

The party?s strength lies in its unity, but unity cannot be built on deception, blackmail, or political witch-hunts. As the 2027 elections draw near, this is the time to close ranks, not widen divides.

His recognition and support for Hon. Goodluck Chidiebere Egwu as the rightful South East leader reinforces his respect for judicial authority and party structures. If PDP is to survive the coming storms, it must embrace discipline, respect internal democracy, and end politically motivated witch-hunts.

The crisis, as Anyanwu noted, is man-made, and so is its solution. It will take truth, courage, and a return to the ideals that made PDP a formidable force in Nigerian politics. Anything short of that may not only weaken the party internally, but hand its opponents a victory they did not earn.

Now is the time to act wisely, constitutionally, and collectively. PDP mustn?t be hijacked and mismanaged by few individuals with vested interests.

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