PDP in Disarray as Damagum, Anyanwu Issue Different Letters to INEC Over Conduct of State Congresses

PDP in Disarray as Damagum, Anyanwu Issue Different Letters to INEC Over Conduct of State Congresses

 

 

 

The leadership tussle within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has taken a dramatic turn as National Chairman Umar Damagum and National Secretary Senator Samuel Anyanwu issued contradictory directives to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the conduct of state congresses in three states.

 

In a letter dated September 25, 2025, and obtained by NEWS WEEK NIGERIA, Damagum informed the electoral commission that the congresses scheduled for Saturday, September 27, in Cross River, Plateau, and Kebbi States had been postponed.

He attributed the move to “unforeseen circumstances and operational logistic challenges” and assured INEC that a new date would be communicated later.

 

“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,” Damagum wrote.

 

However, the decision was countered less than 24 hours later.

 

In a separate letter dated September 26, PDP National Secretary Senator Samuel Anyanwu told INEC that the congresses would go ahead as earlier planned. He insisted that Damagum’s communication should be disregarded.

 

“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.

 

He further warned INEC against recognising any communication that did not carry the signatures of both the National Chairman and the National Secretary, stressing that the exercise “shall hold as earlier scheduled.”

 

The conflicting letters have further exposed deepening cracks within the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), which has been embroiled in internal power struggles in recent months. With the PDP preparing for its national elective congress and strategising ahead of the 2027 general elections, analysts warn that such open discord could undermine the party’s cohesion and credibility.

 

The three states at the centre of the controversy — Cross River, Plateau, and Kebbi — are considered politically strategic for the opposition party, heightening concerns over the implications of the leadership split.

 

As of the time of filing this report, INEC has not publicly indicated which directive it intends to honour. Observers say the development could trigger further legal and political battles within the party if not urgently resolved.