FRESH CRISIS HITS PDP AS DAMAGUM, ANYANWU FORWARD CONFLICTING LETTERS TO INEC. (PHOTO).

 Fresh crisis hits PDP as Damagum, Anyanwu forward conflicting letters to INEC

....Chairman, Secretary differ over Plateau, Cross River, Kebbi state congresses

....Legal implications threaten outcome of national convention

....Party considers new date to end sale of nomination forms

A fresh crisis is brewing within the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which may have grave implications for the party’s November 15-16 national convention in Ibadan, The Nation has learnt.

Sources close to the party’s National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Ilyas Damagum, and the National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, confirmed at the weekend that the two party leaders have fired conflicting memos to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over party congresses in three states where contending interests are seeking to determine party leadership and gather delegate votes.

“The implications may not be too good for our party’s future as ongoing frictions over few state congresses can get the scheduled national convention or its outcome all trussed up in serious litigations that can hamper hopes of early preparations for the 2027 elections,” a federal lawmaker told our correspondent.

Findings indicate that after a meeting with few party leaders in his house, Damagum sent a letter to INEC on Thursday, September 25, stating that state congresses scheduled for Saturday, September 27, 2025 in Cross River, Plateau and Kebbi states had been postponed due to “unforeseen circumstances and operational logistic challenges.”

Damagum’s letter indicated that the decision to postpone state congresses in the three states was that of the PDP National Working Committee.

He also stated that a new date would be determined and communicated to INEC in due course.

“The National Working Committee of our great party hereby postpones the state congresses in Cross River, Plateau and Kebbi states. A new date will be communicated to the Commission,” he stated.

However, the following day, Friday, 26th September, PDP National Secretary Anyanwu, who did not attend the meeting with Damagum, countered with another letter to INEC indicating that state congresses will proceed as scheduled in the three states and asked that Damagum’s letter be ignored by INEC.

Emphasising legal provisions in the Electoral Act and the party’s constitution, Anyanwu asserted that any purported party correspondence to INEC without the signatures of both the National Chairman and National Secretary is of no effect whatsoever.

He further told INEC that in view of earlier effective communication by the party, the party congress in the three states will go on as scheduled.

“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,” Anyanwu stated.

Ambition clouded reasoning of some defectors, says Damagum

There are concerns that if the contending interests on either side fail to resolve the issue, delegates from the affected states may approach the courts to either stop the national convention or invalidate its outcome on the basis that they were unduly prevented from exercising their right to vote.

Party considers new date to end sale of nomination forms

Amidst ongoing power dynamics as the opposition party prepares for its November 15-16 national convention in Ibadan, Oyo State, the party’s National Convention Organising Committee (NCOC) has shifted the deadline for some activities indefinitely.

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The move appears focused on getting more aspirants to show interest in various positions.

A statement issued at the weekend by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Debo Ologunagba, who is also the Secretary of the PDP NCOC Publicity Sub-Committee, gave no new dates for the two activities.

Ologunagba stated: “The National Convention Organising Committee (NCOC) of the PDP has extended the deadline for the submission of completed Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms for aspirants contesting in the November 15th to 16th 2025 Elective National Convention of the party in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital from the earlier announced date of Friday, September 26th, 2025.

“In the same vein, the NCOC has approved the shifting of the date for the Screening of Aspirants for the National Convention from the earlier scheduled date of Tuesday, September 30th, 2025.

“The extension is necessitated by the need to ensure all necessary arrangements for the smooth conduct of the exercise.

“New dates will be communicated in due course.

“All aspirants should note the extension and be guided accordingly.”