A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Samuel Anyanwu, has condemned the party’s recent convention in Ibadan, Oyo State, describing it as a “jamboree” and insisting the event was illegal.
Anyanwu made the remarks in an exclusive interview with Channels Television on Sunday, hours after he and other senior party officials were suspended for alleged anti-party activities.
“Sixteen states had not even conducted their congresses; the entire South-East has yet to hold theirs,” Anyanwu said. “All that happened yesterday [Saturday] was a jamboree. Even the earlier congresses have not been communicated to INEC.”
He added that with several states absent, the convention, which ran from Saturday into early Sunday, cannot be considered inclusive.
“When I heard someone at the convention celebrating and saying we must obey the party’s rules, I laughed,” he said.
The PDP held its 2025 convention amid internal tensions and conflicting court orders—one allowing the event to proceed, and another halting it. The convention resulted in the expulsion of key figures, including Minister of the FCT Nyesom Wike, former Ekiti State governor Ayodele Fayose, Anyanwu himself, and the party’s national secretary, among others.
The party also dissolved its structures in Imo, Abia, Enugu, Akwa Ibom, and Rivers states.
During the convention, PDP chieftain Bode George moved a motion to expel 11 members for activities deemed inconsistent with the party’s collective interest. The motion was seconded by the PDP chairman in Bauchi State and unanimously ratified by the Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Muhammed.
Anyanwu’s criticism highlights ongoing tensions within the PDP as it navigates internal disputes and legal challenges ahead of the 2025 general elections.
