PDP National Secretary Anyanwu Declares Loyalty to Wike, Questions Calls for His Removal

The embattled National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Samuel Anyanwu, has reaffirmed his loyalty to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, amid ongoing leadership tussles within the party.

Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, Anyanwu insisted that no amount of pressure or intimidation would compel him to disown Wike, describing the FCT Minister as both “a friend and a boss.”

“No one can make me deny my friend because after position, there’s still life,” he said.

Anyanwu’s position comes against the backdrop of a leadership dispute over the office of PDP National Secretary. The crisis began in December 2024, when the party’s Southeast Caucus endorsed Sunday Ude-Okoye as his replacement following Anyanwu’s unsuccessful bid in the Imo State governorship election.

Though the Appeal Court affirmed Ude-Okoye as the party’s National Secretary, Anyanwu, backed by Wike, challenged the ruling at the Supreme Court. The apex court ruled on March 21 that the judiciary had no jurisdiction over internal party matters, effectively reversing Anyanwu’s removal.

Despite this legal victory, tensions persist within the PDP. Anyanwu questioned the rationale behind efforts by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah to have him removed.

“My question is, what has Governor Makinde accused me of?” he asked. “Have I done anything against him? I consider him my friend.”

Anyanwu downplayed the significance of his position, noting that his tenure ends in December 2025—well before the party’s 2026 primaries and the 2027 general election.

“Why would anybody want to break his head?” he asked. “Some people say Senator Anyanwu is pro-Wike. What does that mean? Everybody knows Wike’s role in this party and how he stood by it when it mattered most.”

He urged members of the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) to maintain unity in the final months of their tenure.

“We came here as a united family. It would be nice to leave as a united family,” he said. “Let nobody try to fragment the NWC. We just have four months to go—let us finish and go in peace.”