crisis over PDP national secretaryship ends as ude okoye emerges again
The much anticipated South East Zonal meeting of the PDP to nominate a replacement for the office of the National Secretary of PDP occupied by the former National Secretary, Sen. Samuel Anyawu, held today in Enugu, just ended with the South East PDP Zonal Executive led by Ali Odefa alongside all stakeholders, Gov. Peter Mbah […]
The much anticipated South East Zonal meeting of the PDP to nominate a replacement for the office of the National Secretary of PDP occupied by the former National Secretary, Sen. Samuel Anyawu, held today in Enugu, just ended with the South East PDP Zonal Executive led by Ali Odefa alongside all stakeholders, Gov. Peter Mbah of Enugu, Senators, Representatives and State Houses of Assembly members, State Executives , BOT members, Former Governors, Zonal Exco members etc.
At the meeting, they unanimously elected Former PDP National youth leader and former lawmaker Hon. Ude Okoye as the South-East’s consensus Nominee for the position of National Secretary to replace the sacked secretary Sen. Anyanwu.
This historic decision brings to an end many months of crisis over the issue of a substantive National Secretary for the PDP.
The communique adopted at the end of the meeting read in part, “The South East ZEC exhaustively deliberated on the directive of the NWC and came to the conclusion that it offered a sure pathway to peace, unity, stability, and progress of our party. Consequently, the ZEC unanimously recommended Hon. Sunday Udeh-Okoye as the candidate to complete the term of office of the National Secretary. We also urge the NWC to uphold its decision at its 600th meeting on April 29, 2025, by ensuring that the Deputy National Secretary of the PDP functions as the Acting National Secretary pending the ratification of the nominee for the Office of the National Secretary by NEC in line with the recommendations of the PDP Governors’ Forum as adopted by the NWC.
“The South East ZEC further noted that the zone has had to go through this process for the umpteenth time, unlike what obtains in the filling of vacant national offices by other zones. It is recalled that the South East ZEC met in October 2023 and nominated Rt. Hon. Udeh-Okoye to serve out the remaining term of the National Secretary. This position was reaffirmed during the February 20, 2024 meeting of the PDP South ZEC. We also reiterated this during the meeting of ZEC in Enugu on Friday, January 25, 2025.The South East has consistently served as a stronghold of the PDP from inception. In its near three-decade existence, we have given our loyalty and all to the Party. Currently, while the Party has been losing key members post-2023 general election, the South East PDP is at the vanguard of strengthening the Party by rallying major opposition figures into the PDP fold. In Enugu State, the governorship candidate of the Labour Party is back in the PDP. Two Members of the House of Representatives are equally back in the PDP from Labour Party. Furthermore, PDP seats in the Enugu State House of Assembly have grown from 10 at the inception of the Assembly to 20 today. Therefore, we hope that this time around, the position of the South East PDP regarding the Office of the National Secretary is accorded the honour and immediacy it deserves. This would bring to a closure the needless lingering dispute over the matter. However, in the event that our position is not promptly implemented by the Party, the South East PDP, as a family, will be compelled to reconsider our relationship with the PDP going forward.”
Reacting to the news, Opposition Lawmakers Coalition Spokesman Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, hailed the South East PDP, Gov. Peter Mbah for the swift nomination of Okoye as Anyanwu’s replacement, saying the decision a good step towards rescuing the PDP from extinction, and wants NEC to ratifiy decision immediately.