Top leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held a closed-door meeting with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday in Abuja, as tensions mount over the party’s forthcoming National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting scheduled for June 30.
Among the PDP delegation were Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, and former Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki.
The meeting, which was not open to the press, was aimed at resolving a festering leadership dispute that has triggered administrative complications, particularly concerning the office of the National Secretary.
The controversy centers around a bitter tussle between Sunday Udeh-Okoye and Senator Samuel Anyanwu, both laying claim to the National Secretary position.
INEC had recently rejected the party’s notice for the June 30 NEC meeting, citing conflicting signatories and lack of clarity on the rightful occupant of the office.
INEC, sources say, insisted it still recognizes Senator Anyanwu as the National Secretary, in line with documents previously submitted to the commission.
The electoral body reportedly advised the party to urgently rectify the discrepancies in its internal records and communication.
The leadership crisis has however, placed the PDP’s internal cohesion under serious threat, as party stakeholders grow increasingly anxious over the implications for the opposition party’s unity and readiness ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a related development, Damagum had yesterday distanced the party’s leadership from recent remarks made by National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, who had accused INEC of overstepping its constitutional bounds by interfering in the party’s internal affairs.
Party insiders suggest that unless the PDP leadership urgently resolves the lingering internal disputes, the NEC meeting could be postponed or even canceled, potentially plunging the party into deeper crisis at a time it seeks to reposition itself as a credible alternative to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).