South-East PDP at loggerheads, as leaders insist on Udeh-Okoye as national secretary

Major stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the South East, on Tuesday, called on the National Working Committee (NWC) and other organs of the party to ratify Sunday Udeh-Okoye as the party’s National Secretary.

The party leaders, including Enugu State governor, Peter Mbah and the chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT), Senator Adolphus Wabara, said the ratification would be in alliance with the choice of the party in the zone, the PDP Constitution, and a valid court order.

The leaders maintained that they would no longer tolerate the delay in the official recognisation of Udeh-Okoye as the National Secretary, noting that the zone was not a slave to the PDP.

The South East PDP took this position in a communiqué issued at the end of a meeting of the South East Zonal Executive Committee and party leaders held in Enugu under the leadership of Governor Mbah and PDP National Vice Chairman (South East), Ali Odefa; with Wabara among others in attendance.

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In his opening remarks, Mbah said: “We have carried the banner of PDP in the South East with great pride. So, when we have come together, as a people on a matter that affects us as PDP members in the South East and a decision is taken in line with our party’s Constitution and the electoral guidelines, I think it would be a mistake if that position is disrespected.”

Wabara, however, expressed disappointment over the triviality with which the PDP had treated the South East zone of the party.

Other signatories to the communiqué and party chieftains at the meeting include former governors Achike Udenwa, Sam Egwu, and Emeka Ihedioha; former PDP National Chairman, Okwesilieze Nwodo; Senate Minority Whip, Senator Osita Ngwu; and BOT members, Mrs. Josephine Anenih, Ambassador Justina Eze, Senator Ben Obi, and Dame Rita Mbah.

The resolution of the party leaders came over a month after Senator Samuel Anyanwu returned to his office as the party’s national scribe after losing the Imo governorship election.

Trouble had started over the party’s national secretary position when Anyanwu won the primary of the party and became the candidate of the last Imo state governorship election.

Immediately Anyanwu started his campaign, the South East Caucus of the PDP met and endorsed Udeh-Okoye to replace him.

This was vehemently resisted by Anyanwu and the NWC.

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