Akwa Ibom PDP dissolution dispute deepens as Senator Anyanwu and state leaders reject NWC’s move, calling it illegal and without due process.
Akwa Ibom PDP dissolution dispute has escalated as both the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party and the party’s National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, firmly rejected the announcement of the State Working Committee’s dissolution.
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On Wednesday, PDP National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba announced that the National Working Committee (NWC) had dissolved the Akwa Ibom State Executive led by Elder Aniekan Akpan.
In the statement, Ologunagba also introduced a 31-member caretaker committee headed by Igwat Umoren to oversee the party’s affairs for three months until fresh congresses are conducted.
However, in a strongly worded rebuttal issued from Uyo on Thursday, Senator Anyanwu described the announcement as “null and void,” asserting that no formal sitting of the NWC took place to sanction such a decision.
“The Akwa Ibom PDP dissolution dispute is built on procedural illegality,” Anyanwu stated.
“It is not within the powers of the National Publicity Secretary to implement decisions supposedly made by the NWC. That press release should be entirely discountenanced.”
He affirmed that the Akwa Ibom State Working Committee remains intact and directed members to continue discharging their duties in accordance with the PDP Constitution (2017, as amended).
Following the controversy, embattled state chairman Elder Aniekan Akpan held an emergency meeting in Uyo, where the state executive committee reaffirmed its confidence in his leadership.
Addressing the press afterwards, Akpan maintained that he remains the authentic chairman of the party in Akwa Ibom.
One of the elected members controversially named in the caretaker committee, Ekpong Edem, also rejected his inclusion. Edem, who currently serves as Senatorial Vice Chairman, labelled the caretaker list “illegal” and pledged loyalty to the Akpan-led executive.
“The committee’s formation violates the rules and spirit of internal party democracy,” he noted, highlighting the lack of formal NWC consensus.
At the end of its emergency session, the Akwa Ibom State PDP executive committee passed a vote of confidence in Akpan, further widening the rift between the national leadership and the state chapter.
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The Akwa Ibom PDP dissolution dispute is expected to test the internal unity of the party ahead of crucial pre-convention activities and may foreshadow similar tensions in other states as the PDP seeks to restructure for 2027.
