By Suleiman Anyalewechi
As widely expected, the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, South-east Zone, on Wednesday, May 14, 2025 re-appointed Hon Sunday Ude Okoye as its choice for the position of the National Secretary of the Party.
The Source reports that the Zone had in 2024, following the nomination of Senator Samuel Anyanwu as the PDP gubernatorial candidate for the November 11, 2024, Imo state off-circle polls, opted for Okoye as his replacement.
However, following his abysmal loss at the Governorship race, Anyanwu, staged a come back to the position.
But a Supreme Court verdict ,on March 21, 2025, ended the ensuing legal tussle for the position.
The Apex Court ruled that all issues relating to leadership positions are part of the internal affairs of political parties which can only be determine by them.
Specifically,the Supreme Court held that the courts, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, or any other authorities can not determine for the Political parties the direction of their leaderships.
Consequent upon the ruling, the PDP Governors Forum, at its April 14 ,2025 meeting in Ibadan, resolved to allow the South East to renominate its candidate for the National Secretary to serve out the tenure of Senator Anyanwu.
The decision was in conformity with the Supreme Court’s verdict. Meanwhile, the Party appointed the Deputy National Secretary Setonji Koshoedo to hold forth as the Acting National Secretary pending the nomination of a substantive Secretary by the South East Zone
Rising from its Executive Council meeting on Wednesda ,in Enugu, the zonal leadership, while re-nominating Okoye, also expressed the optimism that the National leadership will accord his appointment the honour and the urgency it deserves.
In a Communique issued by the Zonal Chairman Chief Ali Odefa, the zonal executive of the PDP, similarly reaffirmed its confidence in the abilities of Ude Okoye.
” The South-east Zonal Executive Committee, SEC, of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, met at the Government House Enugu, Enugu State, today Wednesday May 14,2025 to deliberate on the issue of the Office of the National Secretary of the party.
“It is recalled that on March 21, 2025, the Supreme Court brought to a close the protracted legal tussle over the position of the National Secretary of the PDP.
“The apex court in its ruling, held that the issue of the leadership of a political party is the internal affairs of such a party, and that the courts and INEC have no jurisdiction ,and ought not to interfere.
“Following the consideration of the report of the panel it set up to review the Supreme Court judgment, the PDP Governors Forum, at its April 14, 2025, meeting in Ibadan ,Oyo State, recommended that the South-east PDP should nominate a candidate who will serve out the remaining tenure of the National Secretary of the party zoned to the region.
“In adopting the PDP Governors Forum’s recommendation, the NWC, during its 600th meeting held at the Party’s National Headquarters, Wadata Plaza, Wuse, Abuja, on April 29, 2025 directed the South-east ZEC of our party to nominate a candidate for the Office of the National Secretary accordingly.
“Today’s meeting was, therefore, convened in accordance with this directive. Rising from the meeting, the SEC resolved to issue the following communique:
“The South East SEC exhaustively deliberated on the directive of the NWC, and came to the conclusion that it offered a sure pathway to peace, unity, stability, and progress of our party.
“Consequently, the SEC unanimously recommended Hon Sunday Udeh-Okoye as the candidate to complete the term of office of the National Secretary.
We, also, urged the NWC to uphold its decision at the 600th meeting on April 29,2025 ,by ensuring that the Deputy National Secretary of the PDP functions as the Acting National Secretary pending the ratification of the nominee for the Office of the National Secretary by INEC in line with the recommendation of the PDP Governors Forum as adopted by the NWC”, part of the communique reads.
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