Governors elected under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have confirmed Sunday Ude-Okoye as the party’s National Secretary. This decision follows a ruling by the Appeal Court in Enugu State that recognized Ude-Okoye for the position.
The PDP Governors’ Forum, led by Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, made the confirmation during a meeting in Asaba, Delta State, on Friday.
In a communique signed by Mohammed and shared with journalists, the governors also urged the acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, and the National Working Committee (NWC) to hold a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting no later than March 13, 2025.
The PDP has been dealing with internal conflicts, especially after the 2023 general elections, which have left the party in a state of instability. One of the major disputes has been over the role of the national secretary.
The party’s South-East zone had nominated Ude-Okoye to replace Samuel Anyanwu after Anyanwu became the PDP candidate for the Imo State governorship election. However, this decision led to further disagreements within the party.
On December 20, 2024, the Appeal Court in Enugu ruled in favor of Ude-Okoye, confirming him as the rightful national secretary. The ruling was formally communicated to the PDP leadership on December 24.
However, the situation took another turn on January 27, 2025, when the Court of Appeal in Abuja issued an order preventing Ude-Okoye from assuming the role until the Supreme Court delivers a final verdict.
Tensions escalated at a Board of Trustees (BoT) meeting last Thursday when supporters of Anyanwu physically removed Ude-Okoye from the gathering. Security personnel had to intervene to restore order.
Despite this, PDP governors have stood by the Appeal Court’s ruling in favor of Ude-Okoye. They urged the NWC to take necessary steps to implement the judgment.
The communique noted, “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.”
Additionally, the governors addressed the economic situation in the country, stating that the Federal Government’s policies have led to hardship for Nigerians.
“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 forum also praised security agencies for their efforts in tackling insecurity but urged the government to strengthen the country’s security framework.
They reassured Nigerians that the party remains committed to restoring stability, economic growth, and security, promising to work towards the progress of the country.
