State governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party have affirmed a former National Youth Leader, Sunday Ude-Okoye, as the party’s National Secretary in accordance with the Appeal Court’s judgment in Enugu State. Punch reports.
Under the leadership of Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, the PDP governors distanced themselves from the embattled Samuel Anyanwu and confirmed Ude-Okoye as the party’s national secretary during a meeting held in Asaba, the capital of Delta State, on Friday.
In a communique made available to journalists and signed by Mohammed, the PDP governors also asked the acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, and the National Working Committee to convene the National Executive Committee meeting by March 13, 2025, at the latest.
Recall, the PDP has faced substantial internal challenges both before and after the 2023 general elections, creating ongoing instability within the party.
Damagum, who became the acting national chairman, has come under criticism from party members who blame him for the party’s continued struggles.
He took over from Iyorchia Ayu who was removed by the court.
The leadership crisis has escalated, particularly due to disagreements regarding the national secretary’s position.
In 2023, the PDP’s South-East zone nominated Ude-Okoye to replace Anyanwu, who had been chosen as the party’s candidate for the Imo State governorship election.
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.
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.
