PDP’s crisis, Gov. Umo Eno foresees, its progression

By Emmanuel Nicholas

Governor Umo Eno foresaw what might befall him if he remained in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to pursue his second-term agenda, because the party leadership had been ravaged by crises.

A wise leader perceives the course of the future with the mind’s eye and takes decisive measures to avert impending catastrophe, thereby avoiding entanglement in events or being held hostage by unfolding crises.

The two major warring camps, Atiku’s and Wike’s, have made it nearly impossible for the party to rebuild. Even after the former vice president exited the party, many of his acolytes remained in the party and continue to cause crises that destabilize it.

Many dates have been fixed by the National Executive Council to conduct the national convention, but they have been canceled three times, and new dates have been set.

The camp of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory has continued to change its parameters for peace; whenever one is agreed, another is introduced to ensure the crisis continues.

About midnight on 30 September, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, the National Publicity Secretary, signed a letter that reads in part: “The National Working Committee (NWC) of our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has at its meeting today, Tuesday, September 30th, 2025, pursuant to its powers under the Constitution of the PDP (as amended in 2017), approved the dissolution of the Akwa State Executive of the party. Consequently, the NWC approved the composition of a Caretaker Committee to run the affairs of the Akwa Ibom State Chapter of our party from today, Tuesday, September 30th, 2025.”

Hon. Ologunagba, who represents the Atiku faction now influenced by Governor Makinde of Oyo State, purported to dissolve the legally constituted Akwa Ibom State Executive that was elected about a year ago and still has three years to serve.

However, in a swift reaction, the National Secretary of the PDP, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu, countered the statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary.

The Peoples Democratic Party described as null and void the dissolution of the Akwa Ibom State Working Committee led by Hon. Aniekan Akpan.

Recall that the PDP National Working Committee, in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, had announced the dissolution of the Akwa Ibom Exco and the subsequent constitution of a 31-member Caretaker Committee headed by Barrister Igwat Umoren.

According to the statement addressed to the embattled state chairman, “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 discounted because there was no formal sitting of the National Working Committee in which such a decision was taken. It is not within the official capacity and duties of the National Publicity Secretary to take actions relating to the implementation of the decisions of the National Working Committee of our great party; 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. Please consider this letter as the rightful authority for you to continue in your duties as provided in the PDP constitution 2017 as amended.”

After the two messages were released, the latter being constitutionally more authoritative than the earlier press release by the publicity secretary, the State Chairman, Elder Aniekan Akpan, held a press conference and addressed journalists at the PDP State Secretariat.

He said some people accused him of welcoming the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, and that this was the pretext on which they illegally sought to dissolve his executive. They accused him of accepting a huge sum of money for welcoming Wike and asked, “Is Wike not one of the leaders of the PDP?”

He instructed all party structures from the ward up to the state executive to continue their normal party activities and reaffirmed that they are entitled to three years in office.

As events unfold, it is clear that either faction may approach the law courts to seek legitimacy. Elder Aniekan Akpan’s exco is the only one known to INEC and to the Constitution of Nigeria, because they were duly elected for a four-year tenure.

If either faction goes to court and proceedings continue for another 18 months, the PDP may not be able to present candidates in the 2027 general election, because party primaries could already have taken place by then.

This is the crisis Governor Umo Eno, PhD, envisioned. He was not prepared to be subjected to rigorous politicking that might not end well and could prevent him from running as a candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He is today vindicated from those who accused him of taking a rash decision or of being a desperado. As a good leader and a spiritual man, his mind’s eye showed him a vision of tomorrow that many could not see when he took his future into his own hands.