The South East Caucus of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has once again called on the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) and other decision-makers to respect the region’s consensus by endorsing Sunday Ude-Okoye as National Secretary.
Senator Osita Ngwu made the appeal during a meeting in Abuja on Tuesday, where he formally conveyed the unanimous resolution from the region. Ude-Okoye, a former National Youth Leader, has been consistently backed by the South East for the position.
The PDP has faced ongoing internal turmoil since the conclusion of the 2023 general elections. Tensions flared further in December 2024 when both a federal court and the South East Zonal Caucus recognized Ude-Okoye as the party’s legitimate National Secretary.
Despite this, former Imo State Governor Senator Samuel Anyanwu contested the appointment in court. However, on March 21, 2025, the Supreme Court ruled against him, emphasizing that party leadership issues fall outside judicial jurisdiction.
Following the ruling, PDP governors encouraged the South East to put forward a new nominee, eventually backing Setonji Koshoedo. This endorsement was later validated by the NWC during its 600th meeting on April 29.
Nevertheless, the matter remains unsettled, continuing to deepen internal divisions within the PDP.
In an effort to resolve the conflict, a seven-member peace committee headed by former Senate President Bukola Saraki was established by party stakeholders. The committee’s mandate is to reconcile differences ahead of the May 27 National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting and the upcoming party convention in August.
The South East leadership, in a meeting on May 14, unanimously reaffirmed their commitment to Ude-Okoye’s candidacy.
Senator Ngwu, speaking on behalf of the zone, appealed to the party’s leadership to honor the South East’s position. “We are not issuing directives, but making a heartfelt appeal,” he said. “This party has a history of honoring zonal recommendations. We simply ask that this tradition be upheld for the sake of unity and progress.”
Leave a Reply