The Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has affirmed Sunday Udeh-Okoye as the authentic National Secretary of the party, ending a prolonged leadership tussle.
BoT Chairman, Adolphus Wabara, announced the decision after a meeting held on Wednesday in Abuja, citing the recommendations of the Taminu Turaki-led committee, which reviewed the legal dispute between Udeh-Okoye and Senator Samuel Anyanwu.
“The BoT, by adopting the report, recognises Udeh-Okoye as the substantive National Secretary of PDP,” Wabara stated.
The PDP has been embroiled in a leadership crisis as both Udeh-Okoye and Anyanwu laid claim to the position. However, court rulings have favoured Udeh-Okoye, with both the High Court and the Court of Appeal sitting in Enugu removing Anyanwu from office in December 2024 and January 2025, respectively.
Despite securing a stay of execution from the Court of Appeal in Abuja, the PDP Governors’ Forum, in a communiqué issued on January 30 in Asaba, urged the party to implement the court’s judgment in favour of Udeh-Okoye.
Wabara emphasized that the BoT’s decision aligns with the judicial verdicts, stating, “This is in full obedience to the declaratory judgment of the High Court of Enugu, as upheld by the Court of Appeal, as there has been no contrary or overriding judgment from any court of superior jurisdiction.”
He directed the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) to recognise and immediately swear in Udeh-Okoye as National Secretary in compliance with the court’s ruling.
The BoT also commended the PDP Governors’ Forum, the NWC, and other party organs for their commitment to upholding the party’s constitution and operational guidelines. Additionally, it passed a unanimous vote of confidence in Wabara as chairman and Senator Ahmed Makarfi as BoT Secretary for their role in stabilizing the party.
Wabara called on party members to remain united and committed to repositioning the PDP for future leadership roles in the country.
