ENUGU, Nigeria — The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the South-East has warned that it may reconsider its relationship with the national leadership of the party if its nominee, Hon. Sunday Udeh-Okoye, is not confirmed as National Secretary.
In a strongly worded communiqué issued at the end of the South-East Zonal Executive Committee (ZEC) meeting held in Enugu on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, the zone reaffirmed its unanimous endorsement of Udeh-Okoye and urged the National Working Committee (NWC) to implement the decision without further delay.
The communiqué, signed by South-East PDP Zonal Chairman, Ali Odefa, read: “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. Consequently, the ZEC unanimously recommended Hon. Sunday Udeh-Okoye as the candidate to complete the term of office of the National Secretary.”
The statement warned that continued delays or disregard for the zone’s choice would force the South-East PDP to “reconsider our relationship with the PDP going forward.”
The zone lamented what it described as a pattern of prolonged contestations whenever the South-East seeks to fill national positions, stating that such complications have not been seen in similar cases from other regions.
The leadership dispute stems from a lingering tussle between Samuel Anyanwu and Sunday Udeh-Okoye, both of whom claim the position of PDP National Secretary.
The controversy began when Anyanwu, who emerged as the PDP’s governorship candidate in the Imo State election in 2023, was replaced by Udeh-Okoye in a nomination backed by the South-East ZEC.
Despite the nomination, Anyanwu secured multiple court injunctions to retain his position.
However, in December 2024, the Court of Appeal ruled in favour of Udeh-Okoye, dismissing the previous high court decision that barred Anyanwu’s removal.
Following the appeal court’s ruling, Udeh-Okoye assumed office and received recognition from PDP governors and the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) in early 2025.
Anyanwu, however, appealed the ruling to the Supreme Court and filed for a stay of execution.
In March 2025, the apex court, in a ruling delivered by Justice Jamilu Tukur, struck out the case on the grounds that the matter was an internal party affair and not within judicial jurisdiction.
The court also voided the earlier decisions of the trial and appellate courts, upholding the minority judgment which had raised jurisdictional concerns.
In Wednesday’s meeting, the South-East PDP also called on the NWC to uphold its previous decision of April 29, which allows the deputy secretary to act in the interim until the dispute is fully resolved.
“The South-East ZEC has met on multiple occasions, including October 2023, January 2025, and February 2024, to reaffirm Udeh-Okoye’s nomination,” Odefa said.
“This matter must now be resolved in line with the party’s internal democratic processes.”
