POLITICS: PDP GOVS AFFIRM UDE-OKOYE AS SECRETARY, FIX NEC FOR MARCH 13
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In line with the Enugu State ruling by the Appeal Court, state governors chosen on the Peoples Democratic Party platform have confirmed Sunday Ude-Okoye, a former National Youth Leader, as the party’s National Secretary.
At a meeting in Asaba, Delta State’s capital, on Friday, the PDP governors, led by Bala Mohammed, the governor of Bauchi State, confirmed Ude-Okoye as the party’s national secretary and distanced themselves from the troubled Samuel Anyanwu.
The PDP governors also requested that the National Working Committee and acting National Chairman Umar Damagum call a meeting of the National Executive Committee by no later than March 13, 2025, in a statement signed by Mohammed and made available to reporters.
Keep in mind that the PDP has experienced significant internal problems prior to and following the general elections in 2023, which has resulted in continuous instability within the party.
Party members have criticised Damagum, who took over as interim national chairman, and hold him accountable for the party’s ongoing problems.
He succeeded Iyorchia Ayu, who had been dismissed by the court.
Disagreements over the national secretary’s role have contributed to the worsening of the leadership crisis.
Ude-Okoye was nominated by the PDP’s South-East zone in 2023 to succeed Anyanwu, who had been selected as the party’s nominee for governor of Imo State.
The South-East PDP argued that Anyanwu should step down from his role as the national secretary given his new political responsibilities, which led to further controversy and division within the party.
On December 20, 2024, the Appeal Court in Enugu ruled in favour of Ude-Okoye, confirming him as the new national secretary. The decision was officially communicated to the party leadership on December 24.
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However, a recent development on January 27, 2025, saw the Court of Appeal in Abuja issue a restraining order, instructing Anyanwu to remain in the position until the Supreme Court makes its final decision.
The situation escalated into a crisis on Thursday during the BoT meeting when some party supporters loyal to Anyanwu physically removed Ude-Okoye from the meeting. Normalcy was only restored after the intervention of security personnel.
In response, the governors endorsed the Court of Appeal’s judgment and urged the NWC to put in place the necessary steps for its effective implementation.
The communique read in parts, “The Forum noted with delight the ongoing efforts at resolving the crisis in the National Working Committee, NWC, on the position of the National Secretary, and has reaffirmed its support for the Court of Appeal judgment; consequently, the Forum advised the NWC to set up the machinery for the effective implementation of the court judgment.
“The Forum having examined all the notices required by law to be given to validly convoke NEC advised NWC to reschedule NEC to the thirteenth (13Th) of March 2025.”
Regarding the state of the nation, PDP governors maintained that the Federal Government’s macroeconomic policies have caused significant hardship and suffering within the country.
“The Forum employed the occasion to review the performance of member states in particular, and the state of the nation in general, as well as developments in the party, as at the end of 2024; and noting the monumental socio-economic, security, infrastructure and other challenges that confronted the nation during the period, the Meeting commended Governors of member states for pursuing policies and programmes that not only ameliorated the plight of the people but were aimed at creating the foundation for sustainable development in their various states.
“The meeting noted that the macro-economic policies of the Federal Government have inflicted hardship and [pain on the polity; therefore the Forum calls the Federal Government to either revisit or rejig its macro-economic policies to ameliorate and or stop the hardship/pains that they have inflicted on Nigerians as no meaningful/impactful achievements in the states will be achieved until the harsh policies are addressed,” the communique added.
The governors’ forum commended the security agencies “for maintaining the frontline in securing the country and the gains of our gallant personnel against bandits in parts of the country,” as it called for improvement in the nation’s security architecture.
It further urged Nigerians not to lose hope, assuring them that the party is committed to restoring the nation to the prosperity, security and manageable living costs of the pre-2015 era.
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