Atiku allies raise alarm over alleged APC plot to weaken PDP

Tensions are rising within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as close associates of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar allege that the party is being lured into a calculated trap set by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), aimed at destabilizing and ultimately dismantling Nigeria’s leading opposition platform.

The warning comes in the wake of the PDP National Executive Committee (NEC)’s controversial decision to affirm Senator Samuel Anyanwu as the party’s National Secretary—a move Atiku’s camp has dismissed as a “scam” and part of a larger political script allegedly driven by pro-APC interests within the PDP itself.

Speaking to the media, Paul Ibe, Atiku’s media aide, strongly criticized the NEC resolution, stating that those behind the decision are compromised elements acting in concert with the APC.

“How can you have a resolution when the very individuals at the center of the crisis are working hand in glove with the ruling party?” Ibe asked. “They cannot be trusted to resolve the matter—they’re enablers of the APC agenda.”

The internal rift further deepened on Monday, when the 100th NEC meeting, held behind closed doors at the PDP national headquarters in Abuja, ended with Acting National Chairman Umar Damagun confirming that Senator Anyanwu would continue in his role.

“We all agreed that Senator Anyanwu will continue as national secretary,” Damagun told journalists. “This was the outcome of our recent interactions with INEC on the matter.”

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The NEC’s decision follows nearly a year of internal conflict over Anyanwu’s eligibility to remain in office after contesting the 2023 Imo State gubernatorial election under the PDP platform. Although he lost the election, Anyanwu returned to resume his role—a move that caused significant division within the party.

The South-East PDP and several members of the National Working Committee (NWC) had earlier backed SKE Udeh-Okoye as a replacement, citing constitutional concerns over dual candidacy and party leadership.

Ibe also raised concerns about the alleged harassment of some Board of Trustees (BoT) and NEC members by security operatives ahead of the meeting, suggesting the intimidation tactics were meant to stifle dissent and manipulate the party’s direction.

“This is reminiscent of military dictatorship,” he said. “They are trying to force Nigeria into a one-party state.”

In a counterpoint, Barrister Ray Nnaji, a former PDP National Auditor, said the NEC decision was overdue and necessary to restore order.

“It’s the right decision, though delayed,” Nnaji said. “The Governors’ Forum and the leadership should have acted earlier. They left a vacuum that Anyanwu reoccupied after the election loss.”

Nnaji noted that the party’s inertia allowed power blocs to manipulate leadership transitions, weakening internal cohesion. He also criticized the delay in replacing former National Chairman Iyorchia Ayu, arguing that such missteps compounded the PDP’s instability.

“If proactive steps had been taken, Anyanwu wouldn’t have returned so easily. The same applies to the Acting Chairman. The PDP must now focus on rebuilding itself.”