PDP Crisis: My Removal Plot is Tied to My Friendship With Wike – Anyanwu
The National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Samuel Anyanwu, has said that the push to remove him from office is a result of his close ties with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
Anyanwu, who was reinstated by the Supreme Court on Friday after a prolonged legal battle, described himself as a casualty of internal party conflicts linked to Wike.
“I fought a battle for the truth, and that’s just the truth. As for those who assume or believe that I’m their enemy, I’m not anyone’s enemy,” he told The Nation in Abuja.
“I was elected as National Secretary in October 2021 and have diligently carried out my duties. I have met with virtually everyone in the National Working Committee, Board of Trustees, and National Executive Committee without any form of conflict,” he stated.
According to him, the ruling reaffirmed that no single individual can determine another person’s fate.
He maintained that he had never defected from PDP, insisting that he has remained a loyal party member since 1999.
Addressing the party’s internal crisis, Anyanwu urged members to unite and work for the progress of the party.
“The way forward is for us all to come back together. We were all elected to serve the party. Even in a nuclear family, people quarrel and reconcile. But in this case, there’s no issue to keep quarrelling about,” he said.
He emphasised that his tenure, along with that of the current National Working Committee, runs until December 9, 2025, and called for collective efforts to strengthen the party.
On the revocation of PDP’s land by the FCT authorities over unpaid ground rent, Anyanwu dismissed concerns that it was politically motivated.
“It is not just PDP that is affected; even INEC, CBN, and NNPC have similar issues. Before we came into office, there were already disputes over our new secretariat’s land,” he explained.
He advised that rather than fighting the FCT authorities, PDP should focus on resolving the issue legally.
On threats by some party members to leave if he remained as National Secretary, he described such statements as mere speculations.
“Why would anyone leave the party because of me? I signed the nomination letters for many of our current governors. Some of them have only served two years. Did I ever demand anything from them before signing their nominations?” he asked.
He insisted that opposition to him stemmed from his friendship with Wike.
“Several of those against me are only fighting a proxy war because of my relationship with Wike. But I cannot abandon my friends because of politics,” he stated.
Anyanwu maintained that PDP remains a formidable party and should not be reduced to being part of any coalition.
“Rather than break PDP, others should dissolve their platforms and join us,” he declared.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
