The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declined to take sides in the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) lingering internal crisis over who is its legitimate National Secretary, saying the matter remains an internal party affair.
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The clarification was made during a closed-door meeting on Tuesday at INEC headquarters in Abuja between top PDP leaders and the Commission’s Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.
According to sources at the meeting, INEC reiterated that it was not the responsibility of the electoral umpire to determine the authentic National Secretary of any political party. Prof. Yakubu was quoted as saying that the Supreme Court had already ruled that such internal matters must be resolved by the party in line with its constitution and processes.
“The commission cannot decide for you who your National Secretary is. That is your internal matter. The Supreme Court has been clear on this,” Yakubu reportedly told the PDP delegation.
The party, still grappling with internal discord over the rightful occupant of the National Secretary seat, was said to have left the meeting in disarray, vowing to return to the drawing board and consult wider stakeholders on the way forward.
The PDP delegation was led by Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, and included Governors Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), and Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau), alongside other party stalwarts like former Kaduna State Governor Ahmed Makarfi, Senator Seriake Dickson, and Senator Ben Obi.
Addressing journalists after the one-hour meeting, Damagum described the interaction as “frank and fruitful,” adding that the outcome would be relayed to a broader party assembly.
“We came to discuss matters related to the position of National Secretary and had a very productive discussion. Politics is dynamic, and we will take this conversation back to our wider stakeholders and take a clear position,” he said.
The dispute over the PDP National Secretary seat has become increasingly chaotic. Over recent months, the party has issued conflicting letters to INEC, at various times naming Senator Samuel Anyanwu, Sunday Ude-Okoye, and another party chieftain, Mr. Sholeye, as Secretary. The last communication to INEC had no Secretary’s signature at all—only that of the Acting National Chairman.
INEC Chairman Yakubu noted that until now, the PDP had consistently written to the Commission with signatures from both the National Chairman and Secretary—standard practice for 99 previous NEC meetings. He expressed concern that the recent inconsistency has triggered doubts about the party’s leadership structure.
In his remarks, PDP BoT member Eddy Olafeso lamented what he called “total confusion,” revealing that the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) had sent at least five different letters to INEC over a single office. “It’s disgraceful,” he said during a televised interview.
Meanwhile, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has insisted that INEC had previously told a PDP delegation that Senator Anyanwu remains the National Secretary based on a Supreme Court decision—although that claim remains unconfirmed by the party.
The Southeast PDP bloc continues to argue that Anyanwu’s tenure lapsed when he contested the Imo State governorship election and that Sunday Ude-Okoye should rightly assume the position. Wike, however, dismissed that argument, citing examples of other party members who returned to office after electoral contests.
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