Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have vehemently rejected Senator Samuel Anyanwu, and endorsed Chief Sunday Ude-Okoye as the party’s National Secretary.
This is as the Governors have picked March 13 as the date for the National Executive Council, NEC, meeting of the party, and advised the National Working Committee, NWC, of the party to convene the party’s NEC on the said date.
The PDP Governors who met in Asaba, the Delta State capital, on Friday, also urged the party’s NWC to comply with the Court of Appeal judgment which affirmed Ude-Okoye as the party’s National Secretary.
The governors also urged the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) to convene the much-anticipated National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on March 13, 2025.
PDP Governors also called on President Bola Tinubu to re-assess and adjust current economic policies, which according to them, have inflicted hardship on Nigerians.
These resolutions were contained in a communique issued at the end of the PDP Governors Forum meeting.
Recall that the Court of Appeal sitting in Enugu, had declared Ude-Okoye the substantive National Secretary of the PDP.
This judgment followed the vacancy left by Senator Sam Anyanwu, who had stepped aside to contest the 2024 Imo State governorship election.
However, the situation remains contentious as Anyanwu continues to assert his claim to the position, citing his appeal of the court ruling at the Supreme Court and a stay of execution as grounds for maintaining the status quo.
“I’m still the National Secretary. The status quo remains because I’m on appeal,” Anyanwu insisted, adding that Ude-Okoye has no authority to assume the position despite the court’s decision.
The conflict escalated into a physical confrontation at the PDP National Secretariat during a Board of Trustees (BoT) meeting last Wednesday.
During the altercation, an aide to Anyanwu allegedly assaulted Ude-Okoye, forcibly removing him from the hall.
Ude-Okoye later returned to the meeting, backed by some members of the party.
After reviewing the matter, the Governors unanimously resolved to support the Appeal Court’s decision and tasked the NWC with implementing it.
“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 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 communique stated.
The Governors advised the NWC to convene NEC meeting on March instead of February as earlier expected.
“The Forum, having examined all the notices required by law to validly convoke NEC, advised the NWC to reschedule NEC to the 13th of March, 2025,” the communique read.
On the nation’s economic challenges, the Governors criticised Tinubu’s macro-economic policies, saying they are hurting.
The called for the overhaul of these policies to alleviate the hardship being faced by citizens.
“The Forum reviewed the performance of member states and the state of the nation, as well as developments in the party.
“It noted the monumental socio-economic, security, and infrastructure challenges that confronted the nation in 2024.
“The Forum commended PDP governors for implementing policies aimed at alleviating the plight of citizens and creating a foundation for sustainable development in their states.
“However, it expressed deep concern over the Federal Government’s macroeconomic policies that have inflicted pain and hardship on Nigerians.
“The Forum calls on the Federal Government to either revisit or rejig its macroeconomic policies to alleviate the suffering of the people, as no meaningful progress can be achieved in the states until these harsh policies are addressed,” the communique stated.”
The meeting was attended by Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, who serves as the Forum’s Chairman, and other PDP governors, including Siminalayi Fubara (Rivers), Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom), Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri (Adamawa), Douye Diri (Bayelsa), Peter Mbah (Enugu), Ademola Adeleke (Osun), Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau), Agbu Kefas (Taraba), and Dauda Lawal (Zamfara). Oyo State Deputy Governor Bayo Lawal represented Governor Seyi Makinde, who is bereaved.
