A fight broke out at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) headquarters in Abuja during a meeting of the party’s board of trustees (BoT).
The altercation started when Sunday Ude-Okoye, a party chieftain, was denied access to the meeting.
Ude-Okoye and Samuel Anyanwu are both claiming the position of national secretary, which has led to a fresh leadership crisis within the party.
In December 2024, the court of appeal ruled in favor of Ude-Okoye, stating that he should replace Anyanwu as the PDP national secretary.
However, Anyanwu appealed the judgment and filed for a stay of execution at the supreme court. Despite this, Ude-Okoye has been presenting himself as the national secretary of the party.
During the meeting, Ude-Okoye was blocked by Emmanuel Okoronkwo, a party protocol officer and Anyanwu’s aide. Ude-Okoye’s supporters then scaled the fence and overpowered Okoronkwo and others, causing chaos at the party’s secretariat.
Security personnel struggled to maintain order, and the party’s chairman, Umar Damagum, and Adolphus Wabara, chairman of the BoT, were among those attending the meeting.
Ude-Okoye is currently outside the BoT meeting hall with his supporters, and security has been increased at the PDP headquarters to maintain order.
