Tensions flared at the 79th Board of Trustees (BoT) meeting of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) when supporters of Senator Samuel Anyanwu and his rival, Hon. Sunday Udo-Okoye, clashed after Udo-Okoye was forcefully removed from the event.
The incident occurred when Anyanwu’s supporters, who had already taken their seats in the hall, pointed out Udo-Okoye to the Ahmed Makarfi-led BoT Secretariat, insisting that he was not a valid board member and should leave.
It was gathered that Udo-Okoye, who had arrived a bit later, was sitting at the far end of the high table when he was singled out. In response, Emmanuel Okoronkwo, an aide to Anyanwu, physically pushed Udo-Okoye out of the hall after a brief struggle.
Udo-Okoye signalled to his supporters outside the hall, who attempted to scale the Secretariat’s fence to help him get back in. However, security personnel, stationed around the venue, quickly intervened, preventing any further escalation of the conflict.
The situation was momentarily defused, and the BoT meeting proceeded without further interruptions.
Before the disturbance, Anyanwu was the first to arrive at the venue. He took his seat next to BoT Chairman Senator Adolphus Wabara and Acting PDP National Chairman Umar Damagun at the high table. Udo-Okoye, dressed in a blue national outfit with a red cap, entered the hall at 12:02 p.m., sitting at the opposite end of the table. Despite the tension, he remained seated through the opening ceremony.
During the meeting, Senator Wabara called for unity among party members, urging them to put aside personal interests and work together to rebuild the PDP for the good of the nation.
Damagun echoed this sentiment in his welcome address, blaming some party leaders for fueling the internal crisis within the PDP. He called for a time of reflection and sacrifices to ensure the survival of the party, which has been struggling with internal divisions.
The clash at the BoT meeting was the latest in a series of tensions within the PDP, highlighting the deep divisions between various factions in the party. While the party leadership has called for unity, the incident shows that there are still major struggles over control and influence within the PDP.
