… Secretary Asks INEC To Ignore Chairman
The leadership crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is far from being over.
There is stalemate as the National Chairman, Amb Umar Damagum and the National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, have disagreed over the conduct of congresses in three states.
Damagum and Anyanwu have, separately, written conflicting letters to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), informing the Commission of conflicting dates for PDP congresses in Plateau, Kebbi and Cross River states.
Damagum had, in his own letter to INEC, dated 26th September, 2025, regarding the congresses, informed the Commission that the congresses scheduled to hold in the three states had been postponed.
The Chairman stated, “Please refer to our letter on the above subject with ref: PDP/DOM/GF.2/VOL.1M/25-090 dated Monday, July 07, 2025, in which we informed the Commission of Year 2025 Party Congresses In Twelve (12) States for the purpose of electing New Party Executives.
“However, due to unforeseen circumstances and operational logistic challenges, the National Working Committee of our great Party hereby postpones the State congresses in Cross River, Plateau and Kebbi States earlier scheduled for Saturday, September 27, 2025.
“What this means is that State Congresses in the Three (3) aforementioned Sstates will not hold as earlier scheduled.
“A new date will be communicated to the Commission in due course.
“The Commission should note that this is for information purposes and not a Notice of Congress.
“We shall formally notify the Commission pursuant to section 82(1) of the Electoral Act 2022, once a new date is fixed.
“While thanking you for your usual cooperation, kindly acknowledge receipt of this letter and please accept the assurances of oof highest regards.”
But the National Secretary wrote to INEC the following day, 27th September, 2025, to counter the Chairman’s position on the same matter.
The Secretary stated, “Please refer to our letter on the above subject with Ref: PDP/DOM/GF.2/VOL.1/25-090 dated Monday, July 07, 2025, in which we informed the Commission of Year 2025 Party Congresses In twelve (12) States for the purpose of electing new Party Executives,
“This is to confirm to the Commission that the congress will hold as originally scheduled and has not been postponed.
“The earlier letter signed by the National Chairman should be ignored.
“What this means is that State Congresses in the three (3) aforementioned states shall hold as earlier scheduled.
“The commission should note that any communication to commission without both signatures of the National Secretary and the National Chairman should not be honoured.
“While thanking you for your usual cooperation, kindly acknowledge receipt of this letter and please accept the assurances of our highest regards.”
The disagreement is coming weeks after INEC declined to
accept correspondences from the PDP leadership because they were not co-signed by the National Chairman and the National Secretary.
In the said correspondence, way back in May, the Chairman had, in a letter signed by only him, informed INEC of the date for the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC).
While rejecting the letter, INEC had pointed out that by law, official letters from the leadership of all political parties to the electoral body must be jointly signed by the National Chairman and the National Secretary.
It took a joint consultative meeting between the leadership of INEC and the PDP national leadership to resolve the matter.
The latest clash between the National Chairman and the National Secretary over state congresses, has cast doubts over the PDP National Convention scheduled to hold in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital
on 15th-16th November.
And the PDP appears to be back where it started.
