“Threats Won’t Fix PDP’s Crisis” Abba Moro Slams Southeast Caucus Over Power Tussle
In a striking rebuke that underscores the deepening fractures within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senate Minority Leader Abba Moro has called out the party’s Southeast caucus, urging restraint and a return to constitutionality amid a growing leadership crisis.
Speaking on Arise TV’s political flagship programme Prime Time, Moro didn’t mince words. He challenged the Southeast bloc’s approach of political brinkmanship and threats, labeling it as counterproductive and contrary to the recent ruling by the Supreme Court which reaffirmed the party’s internal authority to decide its leadership.
At the heart of the storm is Senator Samuel Anyanwu, the PDP’s embattled National Secretary, who controversially ran for governor while still holding his top party position. Moro, a senior figure from Benue South and former Minister of Interior, said this dual-role gamble created a political conundrum for the party.
“Senator Anyanwu clearly believed he would win the governorship,” Moro noted, implying that his resignation from the party position was contingent on electoral victory. “By PDP’s constitution, you can’t hold a party office and an elective office simultaneously. Had he won, his resignation would’ve been automatic.”
But he didn’t win. And that’s where the trouble began.
Assuming Anyanwu had vacated the seat, the Southeast caucus jumped the gun and nominated Hon. Sunday Udeh-Okoye as a replacement. The PDP’s National Working Committee (NWC) initially nodded in agreement pending formal ratification. However, the legal backlash that followed culminated in a Supreme Court verdict which nullified Udeh-Okoye’s appointment, declaring it illegitimate and reaffirming that only the party not the courts has the authority to determine its officials.
“The Supreme Court was clear: the processes that brought about a replacement were fundamentally flawed,” Moro said. “And now we must respect that judgment if we truly consider ourselves a law-abiding political entity.”
But Moro’s message wasn’t just legalistic it was political. He accused the Southeast caucus of stoking internal division through threats and political strong-arming, instead of rallying behind a unified solution.
This episode exposes more than a legal wrangle it reveals a party at war with itself, with factions more interested in consolidating regional influence than healing wounds or preparing for future electoral battles.
With the PDP still reeling from recent electoral losses and struggling to redefine its national relevance, Moro’s warning strikes at the heart of the matter: unity cannot be enforced through threats, nor can legitimacy be claimed outside the rule of law.
As the PDP scrambles to clean up the internal mess and comply with the apex court’s ruling, one thing is clear: the battle for the soul of the party is far from over and it may cost more than just a leadership seat.
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“Threats Won’t Fix PDP’s Crisis” Abba Moro Slams Southeast Caucus Over Power Tussle