FCT Minister Wike, National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu move to further consolidate hold on PDP
The Damagum and Wike groups have taken their battle for the soul of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Both sides are seeking formal recognition of INEC as the ‘original’ PDP.
The Damagum faction was first in writing a letter to the commission, intimating it of the suspension of National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu,National Legal Adviser Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN) and National Organising Secretary Umar Bature.
This was to pave the way for its recognition by the commission.
The Wike group, which in a counter move suspended Ambassador Umar Damagum, Debo Ologunagba, Taofeek Arapaja, Daniel Woyenguikoro, Sulaiman Kadade and Setonji Koshoedo as national chairman,national publicity secretary, deputy national vice chairman (South), national financial secretary, national youth leader, and, deputy national secretary,respectively,has also written a similar letter to INEC.
The letter, dated November 3, 2025 is seeking formal recognition of the Alhaji Abdulrahman Mohammed-led faction of the PDP National Working Commission.
The Wike group is also understood to be taking legal action against the Damagum faction.
Already, the Wike group has approached the Court of Appeal to seek clarification on the recent judgement delivered by Justice Omotosho in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/2025.
In that judgement, the court barred INEC from monitoring or recognizing the Ibadan National Convention being planned by the rival side.
The Damagum faction has vowed to proceed with the Ibadan convention having obtained an order of an Oyo State High Court to that effect.
The convention is scheduled for November 15 and 16.
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The Nation gathered that the Wike faction is looking ahead to a more legally grounded PDP national convention within the next few months.
Besides, the new acting National Chairman of the Wike group has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, calling for a full-scale investigation of Ambassador Umar Damagum and some of his loyalists over the alleged invasion of the PDP national secretariat on November 3, 2025.
On the same date, Senator Samuel Anyanwu issued a memo titled ‘Re: Staff Dismissal” directing all party secretariat staff said to have been sacked by the Damagum faction, to stay put.
“Let every staff concerned or in receipt of such mischievous letter disregard it forthwith and consider it as illegal and of no effect,” Anyanwu stated emphatically.
The Nation gathered that on Thursday, FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike met with a delegation of the Wabara-led PDP Board of Trustees whose request for dialogue and reconciliation was dismissed by the Minister.
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He accused them of taking sides earlier.
On Friday, his group dissolved the BoT and set up its own headed by Senator Mao Ohuabunwa.
The Wike faction is said to have established that a good number of members of the Wabara-led PDP BoT had served well beyond the five years’ tenure that the PDP constitution allows.
The group also acted on the purported expulsion of Wabara earlier this year over alleged anti-party activities by the Abia PDP State Working Committee.
The Damagum group said on Friday that it was on course to hold the Ibadan convention on November 15 and 16.
“With just eight days until the landmark Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) @OfficialPDPNig National Elective Convention on November 15-16, 2025, the party is firing on all cylinders, ready to elect a dynamic new National Working Committee (NWC) and solidify its unbreakable unity as Nigeria’s premier opposition force gears up for a triumphant return in 2027,” it said in a statement on its verified X account.
Tthe party said over 3,000 delegates from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory are scheduled to participate in the event.
It said: “This two-day spectacle is more than a leadership transition—it’s a bold declaration of renewal, reconciliation, and resilience, positioning the PDP to dismantle the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s grip on power and restore hope to millions of Nigerians weary of economic hardship, insecurity, and governance failures.
“ This convention will not only install a refreshed NWC but also heal divides, amplify diverse voices, and chart a roadmap to victory in 2027.”
In a separate statement,the Damagum group insisted that Samuel Anyanwu, Umar Bature, and Kamaldeen Ajibade, remained suspended as national secretary,national organising secretary and national legal adviser respectively.
It described Abdulrahman Mohammed, Vice Chairman (North Central), as an impostor and illegitimate claimant of the position of Acting National Chairman.
It added: “This decisive stance underscores the party’s unwavering commitment to constitutional discipline and unity as it prepares toward the unifying National Elective Convention, #Ibadan2025, on November 15-16.
“The suspensions, imposed on November 1, 2025, following an emergency NWC meeting, were enacted under Sections 57(3), 58(1)(a)(b)(c)(h), and 59(1) of the PDP Constitution (as amended in 2017), citing grave constitutional infractions and actions detrimental to the party’s progress.
“These measures, also extending to Deputy National Legal Adviser Okechukwu Osuoha, remain in full force for one month, with the affected officers referred to the National Disciplinary Committee for further review.
“In view of the foregoing, the PDP has formally notified the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of these actions, ensuring compliance with the decision of the NWC which the electoral body has acknowledged.
“The PDP NWC remains indivisible under Ambassador Damagum’s legitimate leadership, with 14 of 17 members standing firm against this charade. Anyanwu, Bature, Ajibade, and their co-conspirators, including the self-proclaimed ‘Acting Chairman’ Abdulrahman Mohammed, are illegitimate actors whose desperate maneuvers, fueled by personal ambitions and APC proxies, will not fracture the PDP’s resolve.”