However, Anyanwu, in his first reaction to the governors’ position late Friday insisted that he remained the National Secretary of the party, having obtained a stay of execution on the Court of Appeal’s decision.

He said the Asaba communiqué on his status was nothing to worry about.

READ ALSO:

• US-based Nigerian doctor commits suicide over court order
• Espanyol shock Real Madrid to shake up title race
• Nigerian woman Abayomi Whint becomes judge in New York

But yesterday, he sent a petition to the Inspector General of Police, asking for the deployment of armed security personnel at the party’s national secretariat to enforce the Court of Appeal’s order on maintaining the status quo ante bellum and to forestall a breakdown of law and order.

Copies of the petition were sent to the Director General of the DSS, the Comptroller General of the NSCDC, President of the Court of Appeal and the Chief Justice of Nigeria through the Supreme Court.

Anyanwu, in the petition entitled Security Alert: The Advice of PDP Governors Forum to the National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party an Invitation to Chaos and Affront to the Rule Of Law,” drew the attention of the police to what he called an urgent need to “take note of Paragraph 3 of the communique issued by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum after their meeting which took place in Asaba, Delta State on Friday, January 31, 2025.”

He said: “In the quoted Paragraph 3 of the communique, the Forum advised the NWC to set up machinery for the implementation of the Enugu Court of Appeal judgment which favoured the nomination of SKD Ude -Okoye as the National Secretary of the party.

“The police should be aware that an appeal has been filed in the Supreme Court against the quoted judgment; furthermore, the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja granted an order on January 13, 2025, clearly directing both parties to maintain status quo ante bellum pending the determination of the substantive application.

“The order accordingly was duly served on all parties concerned, including the National Working Committee of PDP and INEC.

“It is a settled matter in law that when a judgment is appealed against to a superior court, all parties should maintain status quo ante belum till the matter is finally determined. The Governors cannot claim ignorance of this position of law before issuing their statement, which runs in conflict with the court decision.”

He reminded the police of the January 29, 2025 alleged invasion of the PDP National Secretariat by “hired thugs and bandits to unleash attacks intended to disrupt “a meeting of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT); an action he described as  “completely unlawful and in total disregard to the judiciary and the rule of law.”

READ ALSO:

• Dangote refinery drops petrol price to N890/litre
• Zulum gifts family of army officer killed by Boko Haram N30m to buy house
• Trump crackdown: Illegal immigrants deported from US in handcuffs

He said it was saddening that “the Governors in their expected wisdom have allowed themselves to be deceived by the sponsors of Ude- Okoye.”

He claimed that some people are already “facing criminal investigations by the police” for allegedly forging PDP guidelines which “they used to mislead the courts in securing the ill-fated judgments.”

He expressed concerns about likely and deliberate invitation to chaos at the PDP National Secretariat and urged the IGP, DG of DSS and the courts to seriously consider logical options to avert such.

His words: “Police is therefore being alerted of the grave dangers that will ensue in the attempt of the NWC to implement the quoted advice of the PDP Governors Forum enshrined in paragraph 3 of their communique; it will be an invitation to chaos and affront to the judiciary and the rule of law, especially when the matter is pending before the superior courts for determination.

“I am by this letter calling on you to take necessary steps to forestall the crises being instigated by PDP governors and the sponsors of Ude- Okoye; the National Working Committee of PDP should be advised to refrain from any action that will be contrary to the position of the court on this matter.

“It is my right as a lawful citizen to seek justice against a judgment that was fraudulently secured against me.

“In the interest of peace, safety of lives and property of innocent Nigerians, all parties to this case should be cautioned to conduct themselves in line with the rule of law and decision of the Court of Appeal to maintain status quo ante bellum pending the hearing and determination of the motion. Anything contrary to this will be vehemently resisted.

“I still remain the validly elected National Secretary of PDP until the court rules otherwise.”

On Friday, he said the PDP constitution does not recognise the Governors’ Forum as a formal or constitutional organ of the party.

“It is only a pressure group, so their communique is advisory,” he said.

“It is very likely that that they did that today (yesterday) to please Governor Peter Mbah who spearheaded this.

“The Constitution of Nigeria and the courts of the land tower above all; the Appeal Court gave an order for a stay of execution that is in my favour and it is clear that as we speak today, in compliance with the law and the order of the court of law, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will not dare deal with any other person in PDP as National Secretary except me.

The PDP crisis erupted soon after the May 2022 presidential primary where former Vice President Atiku Abubakar was picked as the party’s flag bearer.

A group in the party, led by the then governor of Rivers State Nyesom Wike and comprising four other governors, had demanded the resignation of Senator Iyorchia Ayu as National Chairman to avoid a situation where Northerners would hold both the presidential ticket and chairmanship position.

READ ALSO:

• Ignorance behind opposition to Sharia panels in South-West – Ex-Minister
• Arab nations reject Trump’s call to relocate Gazans
• Two lawyers yet to withdraw N1bn defamation cases against Farotimi

The Atiku faction refused to accede to the request.

Wike and his group took that as a violation of the principle of equity within the party and vowed to not work for PDP in the 2023 election campaign.

They carried out their threat and the party lost at the polls.

The crisis has lingered ever since, and with the 2027 elections approaching, the two sides are now locked in a fierce battle for the control of the soul of the party with each side determined to have its own supporters run the party.

The objective is that the side with its people in charge of the NWC will have an edge in producing the party’s presidential candidate in 2027.

It is widely believed that Atiku is still interested in the presidential race.

A former deputy national chairman of the PDP, Chief Olabode George, on Friday decried the situation in his party and warned that the unresolved internal wrangling could cost it the 2027 elections

He said: “I have always stated that when you have a little problem and you don’t arrest it on time, it becomes cancerous and affects everybody.

“I believe that at the stage we are, whatever is happening between the two Secretaries—Anyanwu and the other former National Youth Leader of the party—is a reflection of the lackluster approach to solving this problem.

“I was disgusted and ashamed that this kind of crisis would get to a crescendo where our public image is being eroded. It was a show of shame and very disgraceful.

“My take is this: the contentious matter is that the former youth leader went to the Court of Appeal, which gave him judgment that he was right to take over the office of the National Secretary, and Anyanwu went to another court that ordered the status quo to be maintained.

“It looks depressing and disgusting when you consider that a party, which is like an Iroko tree, is being decimated because of personal ambition. It bothers some of us who have been part of the party since 1998.

“Resolving this crisis at the midpoint doesn’t make any political sense. Let us set up a committee to conduct an in-depth analysis of what happened.

“All sides of the divide are making us very angry. People are starting to say that our party is dead, but we say no, we can disagree without being disagreeable.

“I will remain consistent in my argument that we must go to the root of this madness so that it will never repeat itself.

“We have to set up a proper committee to resolve the mess from that convention. We must avoid this dirty public image.”