Senator Samuel Anyanwu, the embattled National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has rejected his recent suspension and expulsion, describing them as legally void and threatening to challenge the party in court if necessary. In an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, Anyanwu dismissed the weekend’s national convention in Ibadan, Oyo State, as an illegitimate “jamboree” that violated electoral laws, including mandatory notifications to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
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The interview, monitored by veteran journalist Dirisu Yakubu, comes amid deepening factional tensions within the PDP. The Ibadan gathering reportedly expelled high-profile figures including Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike, former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose, and Anyanwu for alleged anti-party activities. Anyanwu, who leads a pro-Wike bloc, argued that his four-year tenure elected in 2021 runs until midnight on December 7, 2025, which makes any attempt to remove him unlawful.
At the core of his argument is a legal challenge rooted in the PDP constitution, the Electoral Act, and existing court judgments. “I was suspended, but I resisted. There was no basis to suspend me in the first place,” he said, noting that as the duly elected National Secretary, he alone has the legal authority to notify INEC of major party decisions, including conventions.
Anyanwu stressed that no such notification was issued for the Ibadan event, as required under Section 85(1) of the Electoral Act which mandates INEC’s supervision of party primaries and conventions. “If there was a convention, as National Secretary, I should have communicated that to INEC. No such communication was made. Without a notification to INEC by the National Secretary of a political party, such a party cannot convene a national convention,” he stated.
Reports suggest that INEC received letters from Acting National Chairman Umar Iliya Damagum and other National Working Committee members, but not through the official channel of the National Secretary. Although an Oyo State High Court in Ibadan on November 5, 2025 granted PDP permission to proceed with the convention and directed INEC to monitor it, Anyanwu maintains that the ruling was obtained through procedural irregularities.
He also cited a Federal High Court order from earlier in the year which restrained the PDP from altering the composition of its National Working Committee until current tenures expire. Although the party has appealed the judgment, it remains binding until decided. “We also have a court order. The Acting National Chairman, Abdulrahman Mohammed, has repeatedly said the PDP is a law-abiding organisation. So, we must obey the court’s judgment,” he said. He also criticised Bode George, a PDP Board of Trustees member, for allegedly dissolving the Lagos State executive against similar court protections.
The PDP National Working Committee suspended Anyanwu on November 1, 2025 alongside National Legal Adviser Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN) and others for alleged misconduct. INEC acknowledged receipt of the suspension five days later. However, a reconciliation panel led by former Senate President Adolphus Wabara had advised suspending the convention to avoid crisis, a recommendation ignored by the pro-Damagum faction.
Anyanwu further questioned the convention’s legitimacy on procedural grounds. “Sixteen states have not held their congresses. The entire Southeast never had congresses. There are no excos in Anambra, Ebonyi, and several other states. Only a few states attended. You call that a convention?” he asked. He also derided the event’s optics, noting a performer “dancing on stage in Ibadan, talking about obeying the rule of law,” a moment he said prompted laughter from observers.
While presenting himself as a defender of due process, Anyanwu reaffirmed his political alignment with Wike. “Wike is my friend. I will not abandon my friendship with him because of politics. If anyone wants the party to survive, it is Wike.” He rejected accusations that he and allies such as National Organising Secretary Umar Bature were plotting against the PDP, insisting that his loyalty stems from past support during the G-5 governors’ revolt.
Anyanwu also criticised Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, accusing him of engineering the National Working Committee split and rallying Southwest members to his faction. “Makinde, not Wike, is causing PDP headaches,” he said, urging the governor to set aside his “ego” and focus on unity. He warned that “Governor Seyi Makinde must not allow his 2027 presidential ambition to kill the PDP. If you want to run for president, would you want to destroy the party?”
Makinde’s alleged ambition was not confirmed during the interview, but Anyanwu argued that the governor’s public conduct suggests an interest in contesting for the presidency.
The expulsions have intensified divisions among PDP governors, with some supporting the Ibadan convention outcomes while others express concern. PDP chieftain Sule Lamido criticised what he described as the governors’ takeover of the party, while Bode George dismissed the process as insincere.
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