![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-300x200.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
Governors of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, have distanced themselves from the consensus selection of a national chairman and secretary by the Nyesom Wike-backed faction, insisting on legal redress and a review of the process.
Senator Samuel Anyanwu and Abdulrahman Mohammed emerged as consensus candidates for National Secretary and National Chairman, respectively, with support from the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Credible senior PDP members aligned with the governors-backed National Working Committee led by Tanimu Turaki (SAN), speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to reveal the development, told the press that they would pursue all available legal avenues to ensure the crisis is resolved in their favor.
Meanwhile, very high-ranking members of the Wike-backed National Caretaker Committee, who asked to remain anonymous because they are not authorized to speak on the matter, revealed in an exclusive interview on Tuesday that all geopolitical zones had agreed on consensus candidates for NWC positions ahead of the March 29-30 National Convention.
Insiders indicated that Senator Samuel Anyanwu and Abdulrahman Mohammed have emerged as consensus contenders for the PDP’s National Secretary and National Chairman positions, respectively, sponsored by Wike.
After nearly a year of internal strife, the PDP split into two rival factions.
To exacerbate the issue, the governors’ camp, led by Seyi Makinde (Oyo State) and Bala Mohammed (Bauchi State), held a convention on November 16 in Ibadan, Oyo State, where Tanimu Turaki (SAN) and other officials were elected to the National Working Committee.
In response, the Wike-led group formed a 13-member National Caretaker Working Committee in December, selecting Mohammed as Acting National Chairman and Anyanwu as Acting National Secretary, among other members, to lead the party for 60 days until a formal convention.
On February 12, the Court of Appeal heard combined suits originating from the leadership crisis and issued a decision on March 9.
A panel led by Justice Mohammed Danjuma upheld an earlier ruling by the Federal High Court in Abuja, which found that the processes leading up to the Ibadan convention violated the Electoral Act, the Nigerian Constitution, and the PDP Constitution.
As a result, the court declared the convention null and void, as well as Turaki’s and other NWC members’ elections.
In a parallel event, a separate Court of Appeal panel led by Justice Biobele Georgewill in Ibadan allowed the parties to reach an amicable settlement.
Although both factions had lately shown signs of reconciliation, the governors’ new views and ongoing debates over the convention suggest that peace efforts may have stopped.
According to a source in the governors’ camp, reconciliation efforts failed because the Wike-aligned PDP faction was adamant about hosting the convention.
He stated, “You see, the reconciliation efforts have collapsed. From our side, we indicated readiness for dialogue, but when discussions were held with the other camp, the Wike group insisted that our members must participate in the convention by purchasing forms and contesting.
“As far as we are concerned, that convention process is fundamentally flawed and illegal. As a group, we are determined to examine all legal options and pursue an alternative legal means to resolve the issue.
“We will carefully review the party’s constitution, the Electoral Act, and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, along with all related matters, and take appropriate steps to protect the party and ensure our members have a viable platform to contest.
“You can see that the NWC met today (Tuesday) for about four hours, and it was a productive session. The meeting will continue tomorrow.”
Ini Ememobong, the Publicity Secretary of the Turaki-led National Working Committee, declined to comment on the decision during the NWC meeting at the Bauchi Governor’s Lodge in Asokoro, Abuja.
He just announced that the meeting would resume on Wednesday (today), following which the party would address the problem.
However, a source in Wike’s camp said that his faction zoned the positions of national chairman to the North-Central and national secretary to the South and that zonal leaders were instructed to meet and agree on consensus candidates for all NWC positions.
He also disclosed that he emerged as the consensus candidate for the position of National Organizing Secretary from the Northwest.
The source continued, “In the North-West, the zonal meeting held this afternoon confirmed that the status quo will be maintained. Sokoto retains the National Organizing Secretary position, Katsina takes the National Youth Leader, and Kano takes over as Deputy Treasurer. Jigawa selected the Zonal Vice Chairman. All positions were agreed upon by consensus.
“So far, South-East also retains the National Secretary in Imo State for Senator Anyanwu. Okechukwu Osuoha, who was previously Deputy Legal Adviser, has become Auditor. Chidebere, the former Southeast National Vice Chairman, is now Deputy Public Secretary.
“In the Southwest, the positions have been allocated as follows: woman leader to Oyo, treasurer to Osun, deputy secretary to Ekiti, and zonal vice chairman to Lagos. In the Northeast, the deputy chairman, North, goes to Taraba; the publicity secretary, to Bauchi; the deputy woman leader, to Gombe; and the deputy financial secretary, to Borno. The Zonal Vice-Chairman was assigned to Adamawa.
“For the South-South, the National Vice-Chairman South goes to Rivers, the financial secretary to Cross River, the deputy national organizing secretary to Delta, and the deputy youth leader to Akwa Ibom. Then the National Vice Chairman, South-South, to Edo.”
According to a reputable source who attended the North-Central caucus meeting, the zone resolved to support Acting National Chairman Abdulrahman Mohammed as their consensus candidate.
According to the source, Wike reportedly persuaded former Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom and former Kogi State Deputy Governor Philip Salawu to step aside in support of Mohammed.
“The meeting concluded tonight with the North-Central zone agreeing that it should produce the National Chairman. Religion was also a factor, given that the secretary position was zoned to the South-East; they wanted the national chairman to be a Muslim, anticipating that the person emerging would otherwise be a Christian.
“Additionally, the party’s national leader, minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, appealed to former Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom and former Kogi State Deputy Governor to step aside and allow the incumbent acting national chairman, Abdulrahman Mohammed, to emerge as the consensus candidate.
“As a result, Abdulrahman Mohammed was announced at the North-Central meeting tonight as the consensus candidate for National Chairman in the forthcoming PDP national convention. The decision also reflected the view that he had effectively performed in the acting role, earning the support of zonal leaders and stakeholders.”
When contacted for comment, Wike-backed PDP Publicity Secretary Jungudo Mohammed did not confirm or deny the claim.
He defined consensus as the greatest option for the party, pointing out that the National Executive Committee, Board of Trustees, and other party officials were justified in taking that approach.
“As far as we are concerned, we believe consensus is the best way to go in an effort to bring out candidates, whether party or primary, whether it is an intraparty working committee, an election, or a primary election for the purpose of leading candidates into elective positions.
“Once you have consensus, it means there’s consent of all stakeholders—the aspirants and the stakeholders—as opposed to imposition. And, you know, when you take away the election process, it saves a lot of time, resources, and animosity. So, it is the best way to go. And I think the party is not wrong.
“The leaders of the party are not wrong. And the NEC of the party was not wrong to have advised the various regions to adopt consensus as a means of electing party leaders.”
In a related development, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, a former presidential contender, has warned the PDP leadership, which is backed by the FCT minister, against holding another factional convention.
He cautioned that this could further divide the party.
Olawepo-Hashim viewed the move as a severe threat to the PDP’s unity and survival, pointing out that both parties had already agreed to pursue a unity convention prior to the recent Court of Appeal decision.
According to him, the reconciliation process was thwarted by the actions of a “fifth columnist,” who allegedly hindered efforts to further external interests.
“I urge the Wike faction not to renege on the gentleman’s agreement already made. This is about the survival and integrity of the PDP,” Olawepo-Hashim said.
The PDP chieftain also warned against purported attempts to tamper with state chapter executive committees, notably in Plateau, Nasarawa, Kaduna, and Kano states, saying that such an action would be a violation of the party constitution.
He argued that state executives’ tenures are fixed and cannot be changed arbitrarily, warning against spreading the national leadership crisis to otherwise stable state systems.
Olawepo-Hashim described Raymond Dabo (Plateau), Adamu Ninga (Nasarawa), Edward Masha (Kaduna), and Yusuf Kibiya (Kano) as the legitimate state chairman in the affected states, insisting that their mandates be followed.
He warned that installing alternative institutions in states with no internal disagreements could exacerbate the situation and erode the party’s coherence ahead of future elections.
The former presidential candidate also warned that key players in the ongoing conflict risk becoming political losers if they do not resolve their differences and strictly adhere to an agreed-upon framework for power-sharing and the harmonization of the rival factions’ National Working Committees.
Olawepo-Hashim urged all stakeholders to return to the negotiating table and complete work on a unified leadership structure, emphasizing that any factional convention would result in “a lose-lose outcome for the party.”
He maintained that unity is the only realistic way for the PDP to rebuild its strength, credibility, and electoral competitiveness.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
