The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has strongly countered the assertions made by Acting National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum, insisting that the scheduled 100th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting will proceed as planned on Monday, June 30, 2025, and that Senator Samuel Anyanwu has not been reinstated as National Secretary.
In a press statement jointly signed by key members of the NWC, including Deputy National Chairman (South), Amb. Taofeek Arapaja, and Acting National Secretary, Hon. Setonji Koshoedo, the committee rejected Damagum’s attempt to “overturn” a prior resolution of the 99th NEC meeting held on May 27, 2025.
The NWC said its attention was drawn to a press briefing by Damagum earlier on Wednesday, June 25, in which he allegedly announced that the NEC meeting had been altered and that Senator Anyanwu was to resume office as National Secretary.
Describing the pronouncements as lacking constitutional basis, the NWC stated emphatically:
“The pronouncements by the Acting National Chairman have no foundation as no Organ of the Party (including the NWC), individual or group has the power to cancel, overrule, veto or vary the resolution of the National Executive Committee (NEC) under the Constitution of the PDP (as amended in 2017).”
The NWC reaffirmed that the NEC remains the highest decision-making body of the party, aside from the National Convention, and that its decisions are binding.
Quoting Section 31(3) of the PDP Constitution, the committee stressed that: “The resolution of the NEC to hold its 100th meeting on Monday, 30th June, 2025, is binding on all Organs, Officers, Chapters and members of the Party, and no Organ, group or individual can vary or veto this resolution.”
On the controversy surrounding the position of National Secretary, the NWC clarified that all issues concerning the office had been deferred to the upcoming NEC meeting, and therefore, any declaration to the contrary is premature.
“The claim by Amb. Damagum that Sen. Samuel Anyanwu has been asked to resume office as the National Secretary of the Party is misleading, being contrary to the resolution of NEC,” the statement read.
The statement, endorsed by several high-ranking party officials including Hon. Ahmed Yayari Mohammed (National Treasurer), Sir. Okechukwu Obiechina Daniel (National Auditor), and Hon. Debo Ologunagba (National Publicity Secretary), reaffirmed that:
“The 100th NEC meeting as scheduled for Monday, 30th June, 2025, has not been canceled or postponed.”
This development is the latest in a series of internal wranglings within the PDP, as the party grapples with leadership tensions and prepares for a decisive NEC meeting that could shape its organizational direction ahead of the 2027 general elections.