Ex Gov silent on zoning controversy
Fingers Wike, Fubara feud as PDP’s “existential crisis.”
Former Benue State Governor, Senator Gabriel Suswam, warned yesterday that the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) could cease to exist before the 2027 general elections if the party’s leadership fails to address its ongoing internal crises.
Key among the issues he raised is the controversy surrounding the position of the party’s National Secretary, a crucial position parties need to conduct correspondence with the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and other critical stakeholders.
The controversy surrounding the position of National Secretary of PDP centers on the roiling dispute between Senator Samuel Anyanwu, allegedly backed by FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, and Sunday Udeh-Okoye, who appears to be the preference of the mainstream leadership of the party.
Analysts recall that Senator Anyanwu was elected as the PDP National Secretary in November 2021. But in 2023, he emerged as the party’s governorship candidate for Imo State. Following his candidacy, the PDP’s South-East Zonal Executive Committee nominated Sunday Udeh-Okoye to replace him, arguing that Anyanwu had effectively vacated his position for the governorship contest.
The dispute led to a series of court cases. In December 2024, the Court of Appeal in Enugu upheld a lower court’s decision to remove Anyanwu and recognize Udeh-Okoye as the National Secretary . Anyanwu however challenged this decision, and in March 2025, the Supreme Court nullified the judgments that had sacked him, stating that the issue was an internal party matter and not justiciable.
The Supreme Court also held that the plaintiff lacked the legal standing to initiate the suit.
Following the Supreme Court’s judgment, Anyanwu resumed duties as National Secretary, but key party leaders continue to dispute the legality of his return, arguing that the supreme court ruled the matter as an internal party issue, and must thus follow the trajectory of the party’s position.
Speaking on Arise Television’s The Morning Show on Tuesday, Suswam also fingered the escalating rift between Wike, and his estranged political godson, suspended Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara.
Senator Suswam likened the party’s situation to being in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), with a survival chance contingent on timely and effective intervention.
He noted that many party members are growing disillusioned and are keenly watching the unfolding developments.
“There is a lot of discontent within the party, and many are waiting to see how it ends,” Suswam said.
“Whether there is light at the end of the tunnel in the efforts made by former Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki will be seen in the next two weeks. For now, I would say that PDP is in ICU. Can it be rescued? Yes, if the proper medicine is applied.”
He stated that Saraki’s effort will be critical in determining the party’s future. If these efforts fail, Suswam warned that the PDP may not survive its internal turmoil.
Knowledgeable insiders however criticize Suswam for not addressing the issue of zoning as one of the biggest potential threats facing the PDP in the build up to the 2027 general elections.
A key PDP stakeholder who would rather not be named pointed out to this newspaper that the North–South zoning controversy within the party poses a significant threat to its cohesion and electoral prospects ahead of the 2027 presidential elections.
He also noted the strident calls of key stakeholders like Wike, who on Monday predicted that the PDP will implode if the issue of zoning was not handled with care.
According to him, the PDP’s constitution enshrines a zoning policy aimed at promoting national unity by rotating key political offices between the North and South and that the zoning principle has historically guided the party’s decisions in fielding presidential candidates.
“However, in the lead-up to the 2023 elections, the party deviated from this tradition by allowing an open contest, resulting in the nomination of Atiku Abubakar, a northerner, as its presidential candidate. This decision led to internal divisions and contributed to the party’s electoral defeat, and if we are not careful, we may be staring defeat in the face again in 2027, if we repeat this mistake,” he said.
He maintained that “this is why we are advocating for the presidential ticket to be zoned to the South. Adhering to the zoning principle is essential for restoring balance and unity within the party, and neglecting this principle has previously led to internal discord and electoral setbacks and this is bound to happen again.”