South East PDP threatens to dump party

The South East Zone of the Peoples Democratic Party has threatened to dump the party.

The zone issued the warning to the National Executive Committee of the party in a communique it issued after its meeting in Enugu on Wednesday.

It said its decision was based on the failure of the party to affirm Hon. Sunday Ude-Okoye as the National Secretary.

A communique signed by the South East Zonal Chairman of the PDP, Chief Ali Odefa, said: “The South East Zonal Executive Committee (ZEC) 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 was the internal affairs of such a party and that the courts and INEC had no jurisdiction and ought not to interfere.

“Following the consideration of the report of the panel it set up to review the Supreme Court judgement, 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 would 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 ZEC resolved to issue the following communique:

“The South East ZEC 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 ZEC unanimously recommended Hon. Sunday Udeh-Okoye as the candidate to complete the term of office of the National Secretary.

“We also urge the NWC to uphold its decision at its 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 NEC in line with the recommendations of the PDP Governors’ Forum as adopted by the NWC.

“The South East ZEC further noted that the zone has had to go through this process for the umpteenth time, unlike what obtains in the filling of vacant national offices by other zones. It is recalled that the South East ZEC met in October 2023 and nominated Rt Hon. Udeh-Okoye to serve out the remaining term of the National Secretary. This position was reaffirmed during the February 20, 2024, meeting of the PDP South ZEC. We also reiterated this during the meeting of ZEC in Enugu on Friday, January 25, 2025.

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“The South East has consistently served as a stronghold of the PDP from inception. In its near three-decade existence, we have given our loyalty and all to the party. Currently, while the party has been losing key members post-2023 general election, the South East PDP is at the vanguard of strengthening the party by rallying major opposition figures into the PDP fold.

“In Enugu State, the governorship candidate of the Labour Party is back in the PDP. Two members of the House of Representatives are equally back in the PDP from the Labour Party. Furthermore, PDP seats in the Enugu State House of Assembly have grown from 10 at the inception of the Assembly to 20 today.

“Therefore, we hope that this time around, the position of the South East PDP regarding the Office of the National Secretary is accorded the honour and immediacy it deserves.

“This would bring to a closure the needless lingering dispute over the matter. However, in the event that our position is not promptly implemented by the party, the South East PDP, as a family, will be compelled to reconsider our relationship with the PDP going forward.”