The internal crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) assumed a new dimension on Wednesday after the party’s National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, openly rejected the dissolution of the Akwa Ibom State Working Committee, declaring that the leadership structure in the state remains intact. His stance directly contradicted an earlier announcement made by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, deepening the confusion within the ranks of the main opposition party.
In a letter dated October 1, 2025, and addressed to the state chairman, Aniekan Akpan, Anyanwu insisted that the directive dissolving the state executive had no basis in law and procedure. He stated categorically that no formal meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC) had been convened to authorise such a decision. “For purposes of clarity, that press release should be discountenanced, because there was no formal sitting of the National Working Committee (NWC) in which such a decision was taken,” he wrote.
Anyanwu accused the National Publicity Secretary of exceeding his official mandate, stressing that the role does not include the enforcement or execution of NWC decisions. He declared the earlier statement announcing the dissolution as “null and void and of no effect.” Reaffirming the constitutional authority of the Akwa Ibom State chapter, the PDP National Secretary directed Chairman Aniekan Akpan and his team to continue discharging their duties in accordance with the party’s Constitution (2017, as amended).
The development has intensified speculations of a widening power struggle within the PDP’s national leadership, where senior officers now appear divided over control of key state structures. The conflicting directives have created uncertainty among members in Akwa Ibom, a strategic state for the opposition party, and raised concerns about the stability of its internal machinery.
Party insiders disclosed that the back-and-forth could further polarise the PDP, especially at a time when unity is critical for its political survival. With factions now pulling in different directions, analysts warn that the legitimacy of actions attributed to the NWC may increasingly come under question, weakening the party’s ability to position itself as a credible alternative ahead of future elections.
The unfolding situation highlights the fragile state of the PDP’s internal democracy, with stakeholders closely watching how the party leadership resolves the brewing clash that has put the Akwa Ibom chapter at the center of a national storm.
