The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) faces fresh internal turmoil as the committee led by former Senate President Bukola Saraki, established to revive the party, is already being confronted by threats and internal divisions that could derail its mission.
The Saraki-led panel, inaugurated after an expanded meeting of the PDP Governors’ Forum and other stakeholders in Abuja, was tasked with halting defections, preparing for a rancour-free National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on May 27, and repositioning the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
However, key stakeholders warn that the current trajectory, especially the dispute over the office of National Secretary, risks worsening the PDP’s crisis.
A major flashpoint is the ongoing battle over the position of National Secretary.
The South East leadership of the party has threatened to defect if Sunday Ude-Okoye is not allowed to replace Senator Samuel Anyanwu, who had taken leave to contest the 2023 Imo governorship election and has since returned to reclaim his seat.
Sources within the party have pointed fingers at Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah as the driving force behind the push for Ude-Okoye. They allege the agitation may be a pretext for Mbah and his allies to decamp to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Concerns are mounting that the continued tussle could cost the PDP dearly in the upcoming February 2026 Federal Capital Territory (FCT) council elections, where the party traditionally holds sway.
The APC is said to be making significant inroads, with FCT APC chairman Chief Ugochukwu Agballah recently welcoming over 150 defectors from PDP and the Labour Party.
Governor Mbah, along with other key figures like Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal, Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang, and former governors Seriake Dickson, Ibrahim Dankwambo, and Okezie Ikpeazu, are all members of the Saraki committee.
Within the PDP secretariat, the tension has escalated further.
A group of 83 staff members recently submitted a petition titled “Clarion Call for Stability and Survival of Our Party, PDP” on May 14, 2025, rejecting Anyanwu’s return, reportedly influenced by a housing loan scheme allegedly sponsored by one of the anti-Anyanwu governors.
Speaking to the press, South East PDP Zonal Secretary Emmanuel Mba dismissed the threats of defection, insisting that Anyanwu remains the validly elected National Secretary, with a tenure until December 2025.
He accused Mbah of trying to destabilize the party and warned that removing Anyanwu without following due process could invite legal consequences that would invalidate party nominations.
His words: “If we allow someone not elected to sign nomination documents, we’re inviting disaster. If you want to defect, you don’t need to blackmail the party.”
Similarly, PDP stalwart and former House of Representatives member Hon. Teejay Yusuf warned that the Saraki committee is being undermined by competing power blocs within the party, willing to risk everything to outmaneuver one another.
Yusuf said: “There is an existing Supreme Court ruling and a Federal High Court judgment being selectively interpreted.
“Rather than wait for the national convention to address the National Secretary issue through legal means, some governors have chosen a dangerous shortcut that could backfire during the FCT elections.”
According to Yusuf, several PDP chairmen in the FCT have already joined the APC to seek re-election, fearing that nominations signed by the wrong person could be easily invalidated in court.
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