The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has suspended four of its top national officers, including the National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, and the National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN), amid rising tension within the party’s leadership.

The suspension, which is for one month, also affects the Deputy Legal Adviser, Okechukwu Osuoha, and the National Organising Secretary, Umaru Bature.

PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, confirmed the development in a statement issued on Saturday after an emergency NWC meeting held at the party’s Legacy House headquarters in Maitama, Abuja.

According to Ologunagba, the decision was made in line with the party’s constitution and followed a review of recent developments, including a court order halting the PDP’s planned national convention.

“The NWC, in line with the party’s constitution, came to the following conclusion: the National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN); Deputy Legal Adviser, Okechukwu Osuoha; National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu; and National Organizing Secretary, Umaru Bature, have been suspended for one month and referred to the PDP Disciplinary Committee,” Ologunagba said.

The latest action marks a deepening crisis within the main opposition party, coming just hours after it openly rejected a Federal High Court judgment restraining it from holding its planned national convention in Ibadan, Oyo State capital.

On Friday, Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, barred the PDP from proceeding with the convention scheduled for November 15 and 16, pending the determination of a suit challenging the legality of the exercise.

In a swift reaction, the PDP had described the ruling as “an assault on Nigeria’s democratic process,” vowing to proceed with all internal activities leading up to the convention.

“The judgment of the court does not vitiate our ability to proceed with the processes and activities towards the National Convention to elect new national officers to pilot the affairs of the party for the next four years,” the party’s spokesperson insisted in a statement titled “PDP Planned National Convention Not Vitiated by Court.”

Ologunagba further cited a recent Supreme Court judgment affirming the supremacy of political parties in the management of their internal affairs, stressing that the PDP remains guided by its constitution.

“Our party notes the recent judgment of the Supreme Court which affirms the supremacy of a political party in managing its internal affairs,” he added.

Despite the leadership rift and legal challenges, the PDP leadership has directed its members, chapters, and organs nationwide to remain focused and resolute in preparation for the forthcoming convention.

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The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognizing the outcome of the forthcoming 2025 National Convention of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

Justice James Omotosho, who presided over the matter, gave the order while delivering judgment in a suit challenging the legality of the planned convention.

In his ruling, the court held that the PDP failed to comply with the relevant provisions of the law governing the conduct of such conventions.

According to Justice Omotosho, evidence presented by INEC and some respondents revealed that no congresses were held in certain states of the federation, contrary to the party’s constitutional requirements and electoral laws.

The court further ruled that the signing of notices and correspondences by the PDP National Chairman without the involvement of the National Secretary was a violation of the law, rendering such communications invalid and of no effect.

Justice Omotosho also observed that the PDP did not issue the mandatory 21-day notice to INEC before convening its meetings and congresses, a breach that prevented the commission from performing its statutory duty of monitoring the party’s internal activities.

Consequently, the judge held that the party’s failure to comply with the law had placed the planned 2025 national convention in jeopardy. He therefore barred INEC from recognizing any outcome that may arise from such a convention until the party fulfills all legal and procedural requirements.

Justice Omotosho advised the PDP leadership to rectify all irregularities and comply fully with the law before proceeding with the convention.

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Senator Ned Nwoko, representing Delta North Senatorial District, has called on the Federal Government to release the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, and to create a sixth state in the Southeast geopolitical zone as part of efforts to promote national unity and address regional grievances.

Speaking on Channels Tv Politics on Sunday, Nwoko said the release of Kanu would help restore peace and stability in the Southeast, which has been plagued by insecurity and separatist agitation since the IPOB leader’s detention.

“The continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu has deepened distrust and tension in the Southeast. His release will serve as a reconciliatory gesture and pave the way for lasting peace in the region,” Nwoko said.

Kanu, who was extradited from Kenya in 2021, has been facing charges of treason and terrorism before the Federal High Court in Abuja. His trial has been ongoing amid growing calls for his release from political, religious, and civil society leaders.

The lawmaker also highlighted the need to correct what he described as a structural imbalance in Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, noting that the Southeast remains the only region with five states, while others have at least six.

“The Southeast deserves a sixth state to ensure equity in political representation, resource distribution, and national development,” Nwoko said.

His comments came a day after a Joint National Assembly Committee approved the creation of six new states, including Anioma State to be carved out of Delta North.

The proposed new states still require the approval of the full National Assembly, the President’s assent, and state-level referendums before formal recognition under the Nigerian Constitution.

Nwoko, a member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), expressed optimism that the creation of Anioma State and the release of Kanu would both serve as significant steps toward national inclusion and reconciliation.

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The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to investigate Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State over what it described as an open attempt to induce voters ahead of the November 8 governorship election.

This follows the governor’s recent remarks at a campaign rally in Umunze, Orumba South Local Government Area, where he pledged cash rewards to wards that deliver votes for the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) — the party under which he is seeking re-election.

Soludo had told supporters that every ward won by APGA would receive ₦1 million, while the top three performing wards would get ₦5 million, ₦2 million, and ₦1 million, respectively.

“When we were campaigning for the Senate, we knew we were going to win every ward in the South Senatorial Zone, but we still had some incentives. Any ward that APGA won received ₦1 million, and we won all the wards in Orumba South.

“We promised each of these wards ₦1 million, and next week we will redeem it. For November 8, any ward that wins again will receive ₦1 million, while the first three performing wards will get ₦5 million, ₦2 million, and ₦1 million, respectively,” the governor said.

Reacting to the comment, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC National Publicity Secretary, said Soludo’s promise amounts to “cash for votes,” which violates the Electoral Act 2022, particularly Sections 121 and 127, which prohibit any form of voter inducement.

“Ahead of the November 8 election, Soludo has clearly lost the confidence of the people, and it shows,” Abdullahi said.

“Only a sitting governor who has run out of public goodwill would so openly resort to cash for votes, in direct violation of the Electoral Act. This is a new level of desperation wrapped in impunity, and I hope INEC is not pretending not to see it.”

Meanwhile, sources within the Anambra State Government have dismissed opposition criticism, insisting that the governor’s statement was merely a motivational gesture to party supporters rather than an inducement for votes.

Observers, however, warn that such monetary pledges could set a dangerous precedent and erode public confidence in the credibility of the electoral process if left unchecked by the electoral umpire.

The Anambra governorship election is expected to be closely contested, with APGA, the ADC, Labour Party, All Progressives Congress (APC), and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) all fielding candidates in the race.

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Political tension continues to deepen in Abia State as Bende Political Stakeholders have criticized the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, over what they described as poorly executed constituency projects across Bende Federal Constituency.

According to reports by KEPU KEPU TV, the renewed friction follows Kalu’s recent comments urging Abians to appreciate President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for making funds available to state governors, describing the president as “the real miracle worker.”

His remarks drew widespread backlash from various political quarters, including the Abia State Chief Liaison Officer at the National Assembly, Chief Iheanyi Chinasa, who challenged the Deputy Speaker to provide verifiable evidence of his constituency projects and their costs.

Chief Chinasa further invited Kalu to allow an independent media verification of the projects, even offering to sponsor the inspection if the Deputy Speaker declined to cover the expenses.

In response, Kalu’s Chief Press Secretary, Livinus Nwabughiogu, shared photographs of several projects purportedly executed by the Deputy Speaker on his verified Facebook page.

However, in a follow-up development, the Bende Political Stakeholders conducted what they described as an independent investigation and fact-finding mission to verify the true state of those projects across Bende Federal Constituency, Abia North, and parts of the South-East.

According to the group’s findings, several of the projects were either substandard, incomplete, or already deteriorating, with some allegedly collapsing within a year of completion.

“A visit to Mkpa in Bende Local Government Area revealed a poorly constructed bridge that remains inaccessible, especially during the rainy season,” the group said in a statement.

The stakeholders claimed that photographic evidence from various sites confirmed their position that most of the projects were “haphazardly executed and failed to serve their intended purpose.”

They therefore called on Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu to revisit the affected projects and explain why infrastructure under his supervision failed so quickly, emphasizing that accountability and transparency are essential for effective representation.

“It is disappointing that a person of such national standing would deliver projects that lack quality assurance,” the statement added.

The group urged the Deputy Speaker to prioritize the completion and proper rehabilitation of the affected projects in order to restore public confidence in his representation.

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