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Following a protracted period of internal strife, the Anambra State People’s Democratic party (PDP) has finally put its differences aside, ending a nearly two-decade-long impasse. The chapter has now united under a renewed sense of purpose.
The Anambra State PDP chapter splintered into factions after the party’s decision to deny former Governor Chinwoke Mbadinuju a second term in 2003, a move that marked a significant turning point in the party’s history.
Mbadinuju, a pioneering figure in the state’s politics, had initially been elected in 1999 as the first governor under the PDP banner.
Governor Mbadinuju’s bid for reelection was thwarted by the formidable influence of Chief Chris Uba, the erstwhile kingmaker of Anambra politics, who threw his weight behind Dr. Chris Ngige, his preferred candidate. The then-national PDP leadership, headed by Chief Audu Ogbeh, similarly backed Ngige, effectively blocking Mbadinuju’s path to a second term.
Dr. Chris Ngige emerged as the PDP’s standard-bearer in the 2022 gubernatorial race and was initially declared the winner by INEC. However, his victory was short-lived, as the election court subsequently nullified his win, ordering his removal from office.
As the party’s internal conflict escalated, a new faction emerged under the leadership of Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu, who vowed to challenge Uba’s dominance. This led to a flurry of legal battles in court, further deepening the party’s divisions.
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The party’s internal turmoil persisted until the 2022 governorship election, when the chapter’s failure to produce credible delegates for the PDP national convention became apparent. In response, the court intervened by appointing special delegates, known as super delegates, to represent the chapter at the convention.
Valentine Ozigbo’s 2022 governorship candidacy was beset by internal strife, as party factions that had previously vied for the nomination turned their energies to opposing his bid.
Addressing a sea of supporters at the Anambra PDP rally in Awka, Chairman Chigozie Igwe declared that the party’s internal conflicts had finally been laid to rest. He announced that key players had set aside their differences, dissolving their factions and reunifying under the party’s umbrella.
According to Igwe, this unity was made possible through a series of strategic meetings and diplomatic overtures by the current state leadership, aimed at mending fences with the party’s influential elders.
With the development, the party, he said, is now fully reconciled and being repositioned to contest both the local government and 2025 governorship elections in the state.
“There are no more factions in our party as you can see and we have reached out to all of the factions and they have collapsed their structures into one umbrella.”
