By Francesca Hangeior

Senator Samuel Anyanwu has resumed office as National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He drove into the party’s National Secretariat at Wadata House through the service gate located behind the building without fanfare.

Anyanwu then exchanged pleasantries with the handful of secretariat staff available before proceeding into his office.

This is coming barely 48 hours after he petitioned security agencies to come to
his aid to stop what he described as an attempt by the party’s 12 governors to cause chaos with their decision to recognize Hon. Sunday Ude-Okoye, another claimant to the position.

The Governor Bala Mohammed-led 12-member PDP Governors Forum had in a communique issued after their monthly meeting in Asaba, the Delta State capital on Friday, recognized Ude-Okoye as National Secretary basing their decision on an Appeal Court Judgement.

However, Anyanwu who said he was in possession of a valid stay of execution order insists on remaining in office until his pending appeal at the Supreme Court is dispensed with.

Meanwhile, normal activities are going on at the Secretariat. Regular policemen and women attached to the Secretariat complex can be seen at their duty posts.

*** INEC to open defence on Wednesday

By Francesca Hangeior

Satisfied with the evidence of 19 witnesses they produced to testify before the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo, on Monday, closed their case.

The petitioners are challenging the declaration of Governor Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress, APC, as winner of the gubernatorial contest held in the state on September 21, 2024.

At the resumed proceeding in the matter before, lead counsel for the petitioners, Mr. Robert Emukpoeruo, SAN, informed the Justice Wilfred Kpochi-led three-member panel tribunal that they have concluded their case.

The application came shortly after the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, produced five additional Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, machines that were used for the election.

The electronic devices, which were tendered by a Senior Technical Officer in the ICT Department of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Mr. Anthony Itodo, were admitted in evidence, though all the Respondents in the matter objected, saying they would give their reasons in their final written addresses.

It will be recalled that the tribunal had earlier admitted in evidence a total of 148 BVAS that were used in 133 polling units where results of the election are being disputed by the PDP.

Meanwhile, the tribunal has fixed Wednesday for INEC to open its defence.

INEC had declared that Okpebholo of the APC secured a total of 291,667 votes to defeat his closest rival, Ighodalo of the PDP, who got a total of 247,655 votes.

Aggrieved by the outcome of the poll, the PDP and its candidate approached the tribunal, praying it to nullify INEC’s declaration of the APC and Okpebholo as winners of the contest.

The petitioners, among other things, contended that the governorship election was invalid by reason of alleged non-compliance with provisions of the Electoral Act.

They equally argued in the petition marked EPT/ED/GOV/02/2024 that Governor Okpebholo of the APC did not secure the highest number of lawful votes that were cast at the election

The removal of Mudashiru Obasa as the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly has intensified divisions within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos, as party stakeholders remain split over his impeachment.

Recall that Obasa was impeached on January 13, 2025, over allegations of misconduct and financial misappropriation, a decision that has fueled tensions within the Governance Advisory Council (GAC)—the highest decision-making body of the APC in the state.

Party Leaders Clash Over Impeachment
Disagreements within the party became evident when Senator Anthony Adefuye and Muraina Taiwo, both GAC members, publicly criticized the impeachment, calling it politically motivated and procedurally flawed.

Adefuye, speaking with Punch, questioned the legality of the process, while Taiwo stated in a WhatsApp message:

“The lawmakers’ action is illegal. It shows total disregard and clear disrespect for leadership.

The GAC is split over the matter, but we will all defer to our leader, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to resolve the crisis.”

However, former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, dismissed their objections as “childish and inconsequential”, urging party leaders to avoid making hasty remarks.

Meanwhile, the Lagos State House of Assembly has hinted that Obasa may return to the House as discussions continue on whether to launch a formal probe into the allegations against him.

As the crisis within the APC unfolds, opposition parties in Lagos have signaled their willingness to welcome Obasa if he decides to leave the ruling party.

The Vice Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos, Benedict Tai, confirmed that the party would consider admitting the former Speaker but emphasized that due diligence would be conducted.

“If we accept him into the PDP, we will implement necessary checks. No one can just join and demand a position; they must have spent years in the party. We need to ensure he isn’t coming to disrupt our structure, as others have in the past,” Tai stated.

He further noted that the PDP sees the APC’s internal crisis as an opportunity to strengthen its influence in the state.

“Their disunity is to our advantage, and if their crisis continues, it will help us regain lost ground. However, we must learn from past mistakes and take strategic steps.”

Similarly, the Labour Party (LP) in Lagos has expressed its readiness to accept Obasa if his political ambitions align with the party’s vision.

The Chairman of LP in Lagos, Pastor Dayo Ekong, said the party remains open to all but warned that no automatic privileges would be granted.

“If the impeached Speaker chooses to join the Labour Party, he will be welcomed, provided he shares our ideals. However, no one is given an automatic ticket. If he wants to contest, he must go through the primaries and test his popularity.”

Ekong also noted that the 2023 LP governorship candidate remains active in the party, hinting that Obasa’s entry would not disrupt existing structures.

“When the time comes, the party will decide its candidate. Until then, everyone will follow due process.”

With the 2027 elections on the horizon, Obasa’s next political move remains uncertain, but his impeachment has undoubtedly shifted the political dynamics in Lagos.