The internal crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has taken a new turn as the party’s National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, dismissed the reported dissolution of its Akwa Ibom State Executive Committee.
On Wednesday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, announced in a statement that the National Working Committee (NWC) had dissolved the Akwa Ibom Exco and set up a 31-member caretaker committee led by Barrister Igwat Umoren. The committee was expected to serve for three months, pending fresh elections in the state.
However, Anyanwu, in a swift reaction, described the announcement as “null and void.”
In a letter addressed to the Akwa Ibom PDP State Chairman, Anyanwu argued that no such decision was taken by the NWC.
“My attention has been drawn to the purported press release by the National Publicity Secretary of our party announcing the dissolution of the state working committee of Akwa Ibom State. For purposes of clarity, that press release should be disregarded because there was no formal sitting of the National Working Committee in which such a decision was taken,” he said.
The PDP National Secretary further stressed that it was not within the powers of the National Publicity Secretary to issue directives on decisions of the NWC.
“As a result, the purported press release is null and void and of no effect. The state working committee of the PDP, Akwa Ibom State, stands undissolved,” he added.
Anyanwu concluded by directing the existing state Exco to continue carrying out its functions in line with the provisions of the PDP constitution (2017 as amended).
