Fresh Crisis Rocks PDP as Power Struggle Spreads Across Akwa Ibom, Plateau, Cross River and Kebbi

At the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) headquarters in Wadata Plaza, Abuja, internal rifts are deepening. What once appeared a stable leadership structure now looks fractured, with authority split among key figures and state chapters caught in the crossfire.

In recent days, party congresses in Akwa Ibom, Plateau, Kebbi, and Cross River have exposed a fierce struggle for control between National Chairman Umar Damagum, National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu, and National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba. Analysts say the outcome could shape PDP’s legitimacy and direction ahead of the 2027 elections.

Dual Power Struggle

Damagum presides over National Working Committee (NWC) meetings and has issued executive decisions, including dissolutions and congress postponements. Anyanwu, reinstated as National Secretary, insists that no decision is valid without his co-validation. Ologunagba, on his part, frequently communicates Damagum’s position, defending NWC pronouncements as binding.

This tension has become most visible in state congresses, which are critical for refreshing party organs and preparing electoral structures.

Akwa Ibom: Caretaker or Continuity?

Damagum’s camp announced the dissolution of the Akwa Ibom State Working Committee (SWC), replacing it with a caretaker committee led by Igwat Umoren. But Anyanwu countered with a letter to state chairman Aniekan Akpan, declaring the move “null and void.” He insisted the state executive remains intact, arguing no formal NWC meeting had approved the dissolution.

Plateau & Kebbi: Letters of Confusion

In Plateau and Kebbi, Damagum reportedly wrote to INEC postponing scheduled congresses, citing logistics. Anyanwu quickly followed with a counter-letter, instructing that the exercises must proceed. The contradictory letters left INEC, state chapters, and delegates in confusion.

Cross River: Parallel Realities

In Cross River, the conflict played out publicly. A state congress was held in Calabar as originally scheduled, with local leaders declaring it valid. From Abuja, however, Ologunagba dismissed it as a “hallucination” and a “carnival,” insisting no official congress took place since the NWC had postponed it. Cross River publicity secretary Mike Ojisi shot back: “A purported social media chat between five members of the NWC cannot constitute a National Working Committee, talk more of taking such a fundamental decision.”

Constitution as Weapon

Both camps now invoke different clauses of the PDP Constitution (2017, as amended) to justify their positions.

• Damagum’s supporters cite Section 35(a)(1), which empowers the NWC to organise party activities and implement NEC decisions.
• Anyanwu’s camp stresses procedural requirements, particularly Article 47(1) on tenure of party organs and Section 36(2), which recognises the National Secretary’s authentication role.

Every dissolution, postponement, or letter is now contested, with procedural technicalities weaponised in the power struggle.

Beyond Four States

The crisis is already straining grassroots loyalty and eroding public confidence in the PDP as a coherent opposition. Some party elders have begun quiet interventions, urging compromise through joint oversight of caretaker committees and transparent congress schedules.

Observers say two paths lie ahead: a negotiated truce that restores unity, or a deeper split where rival factions act as parallel parties under the PDP umbrella.

As one insider put it, “This is no longer a mere administrative tug-of-war; it is a battle over the soul and constitutional legitimacy of the PDP.”

For now, Wadata Plaza remains a house still standing, but with its silence broken by competing voices. Whether consensus or collapse follows could define not just 2025, but PDP’s relevance in 2027 and beyond.

Opinion Nigeria News