The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was thrown into disarray on Wednesday over the affirmation of Hon. Sunday Udeh-Okoye as the party’s National Secretary.
The lingering leadership tussle over the position has continued to divide the NWC and other stakeholders, following a legal battle between Sen. Samuel Anyanwu and Udeh-Okoye. The crisis escalated despite the December 20, 2024, judgment of the Court of Appeal in Enugu, which upheld Udeh-Okoye as the rightful occupant of the position.
PDP Officially Recognizes Udeh-Okoye
In a statement on Wednesday, PDP National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, confirmed that the NWC had extensively deliberated on the matter during its meeting on February 12, 2025.
According to Ologunagba, the NWC thoroughly examined:
- The Declaratory Judgment of the High Court of Enugu
- The Court of Appeal Judgment affirming Udeh-Okoye
- The Legal Opinions of Dr. Kabiru T. Turaki, SAN, and the PDP National Legal Adviser
Following its review, the NWC overwhelmingly endorsed Udeh-Okoye as the substantive National Secretary, affirming that there was no superseding judgment challenging the Court of Appeal’s decision.
“The NWC has commenced the transmission of its resolution affirming Rt. Hon. S.K.E Udeh-Okoye as PDP National Secretary to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other relevant bodies for recognition in line with the judgment of the Court of Appeal.”
Ologunagba further reassured party members that the NWC remains committed to the PDP Constitution (as amended in 2017), rule of law, and the party’s founding vision.
Anyanwu Rejects Affirmation, Says NWC Never Met
However, Sen. Anyanwu dismissed Ologunagba’s statement, insisting that the NWC never convened a meeting on the matter. He described the announcement as the position of a few individuals, rather than the entire NWC.
“The NWC never met; that is Ologunagba and a few others’ position. The matter was only discussed on the WhatsApp platform. Therefore, the NWC has not met regarding it, as the matter is still in court.”
Corroborating Anyanwu’s stance, the Acting National Chairman of the PDP, Amb. Umar Damagun, reportedly acknowledged that no physical NWC meeting was held to adopt any official position on the matter.
The development highlights the deepening internal crisis within the PDP, as factions continue to disagree over leadership decisions despite legal pronouncements.
