Peoples Democratic Party chieftain Samuel Anyanwu has alleged that a powerful bloc of PDP governors is deliberately trying to seize control of the party, warning that their actions could undermine its future and alienate long-standing members.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, 17 November, Anyanwu said the party’s internal crisis was the result of a calculated effort by governors to dominate decision making structures and sideline other stakeholders.
“The truth of the matter is that I will hold the Governors’ Forum responsible for whatever is happening to the party today,” he said, insisting he would not accept blame for the turmoil. When asked about his own role, he added, “I did my part very well.”
According to him, the crisis has been brewing for years, worsened by moves he described as attempts by governors to rewrite the PDP rulebook.
“Governors’ Forum; they wanted the constitution amended to include it as an organ. So who is killing the party?” he asked.
He accused some governors of practising “backyard politics,” saying their influence had driven away several founding members.
“I will tell the governors to leave the party alone. Because you produce funds does not mean you should ruin the party,” he said.
Anyanwu dismissed his recent expulsion as illegal and claimed it was part of a broader scheme by governors to reshape the PDP ahead of future elections. He claimed some were already in talks with the APC.
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“PDP is not dead, and PDP cannot die. Even if somebody is in an intensive care unit, the person can still recover,” he said, urging supporters not to lose faith.
He also defended his relationship with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, saying Wike remained committed to the PDP.
“When Wike, Makinde, Ugwuanyi, Ikpeazu and Ortom were doing G5, I was not part of it. Yet Wike is my very good friend. When the PDP was in ruins, it was Wike who resurrected the party,” he stated.
Anyanwu criticised the party’s recent convention in Ibadan, calling it “a jamboree” that excluded entire states.
“Sixteen states had not even done their congresses; the entire Southeast has not done theirs. Even the ones done earlier have not been communicated to INEC,” he said.
The convention, held amid conflicting court orders, expelled 11 prominent members including Wike, Ayodele Fayose and Anyanwu. The motion, moved by Bode George, was adopted unanimously.
New National Chairman Kabiru Turaki won with 1,516 votes and pledged to rebuild trust, restore transparency and reconcile aggrieved members.
As the PDP battles internal fractures, Anyanwu’s claims add a dramatic twist to the struggle for control within Nigeria’s oldest opposition party, leaving supporters wondering what comes next.