National officers of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have conspicuously boycotted the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, reportedly to avoid interactions with Senator Sam Anyanwu, one of the claimants to the position of National Secretary.

The secretariat reopened last Monday after the Christmas and New Year holidays, but only Anyanwu has consistently reported to work.

His presence comes amid an ongoing leadership dispute, as former National Youth Leader Sunday Ude-Okoye was recently declared the rightful National Secretary by the Court of Appeal in Enugu.

Despite the court ruling, Anyanwu insists that he remains the National Secretary, citing his appeal to the Supreme Court and a pending application for a stay of execution of the appellate court’s judgment.

He has continued to occupy the position while the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) grapples with how to address the contentious situation.

The NWC had initially scheduled a meeting for Wednesday, where Ude-Okoye was expected to attend. However, the meeting was abruptly canceled without official explanation. Party insiders suggest the cancellation may be an attempt to allow more time for behind-the-scenes negotiations to resolve the stalemate.

Apart from Anyanwu, the only other national officer seen at the secretariat on Wednesday was National Youth Leader Muhammad Suleiman, who reportedly held a private meeting with Anyanwu before leaving the premises.

The leadership crisis has created deep divisions within the NWC, with members split between supporting Anyanwu and backing Ude-Okoye. PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, criticized Anyanwu’s continued presence at the secretariat, accusing him of bypassing legal processes and resorting to “self-help.”

“It’s unfortunate that this drama is unfolding. Resorting to self-help is highly condemnable,” Ologunagba stated.

He also noted that the party has no record of a stay of execution or court order validating Anyanwu’s claim to the position.

Ologunagba further alleged that Anyanwu is linked to activities that undermine the party’s integrity, including connections to thugs and financial transactions meant to destabilize the PDP.

“This behavior undermines the rule of law and tarnishes the party’s image,” he said.

He reaffirmed the PDP’s commitment to due process, emphasizing that the party would comply with any legal order if a stay of execution were granted.

For now, however, no such order exists.

Ologunagba also hinted at the possibility of external interference, suggesting that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) may be influencing the crisis.

“We must be vigilant against forces working to destabilize our party,” he said. (Nigerian Tribune)