National secretary: Anxiety in PDP as S’Court hears

•Party reschedules NEC meeting

From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja

There is anxiety in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), ahead of the Supreme Court’s hearing of an appeal filed by Senator Samuel Anyanwu against his ouster as the national secretary of the party by the Court of Appeal, Enugu Division.

Daily Sun gathered that ahead of the apex court’s hearing, interested parties, especially those from the South East, are anxious about the likely outcome of the appeal in the tussle for national secretary position. The Supreme Court, while ruling on a motion by Anyanwu for accelerated hearing, had fixed March 10 to hear his appeal.

However, the PDP has shifted a meeting of its National Executive Committee(NEC) scheduled for Thursday, March 13, to Thursday, May 15.

The Court of Appeal, Enugu Division, had in a judgement on December 20, 2024, affirmed the judgment of an Enugu State High Court, which upheld the nomination of former PDP national youth leader, Sunday Ude-Okoye, as national secretary to replace Anyanwu, following the latter’s emergence as candidate in the 2023 Imo governorship election.

However, the Appeal Court deepened the schism within the opposition party. While Anyanwu has continued to insist that he remains the national secretary, various PDP organs, including the Governors’ Forum, the Board of Trustees (BoT), as well as the National Working Committee, have recognised Ude-Okoye as the party’s scribe, in line with the Court of Appeal’s judgment.

The tussle over the national secretary position, which has grounded activities at the PDP national secretariat since January 2025, has also worsened the crisis in the South East chapter of the party, resulting in the suspension of the BoT chairman, Senator Adolphus Wabara, by the Abia State chapter.

Also, members of the PDP aspiring to contest the November 8 gubernatorial election on the platform of the party shunned the sale of nomination forms for PDP governorship primary, as a result of the conflict over the national secretary position.

A member of the party in South East, told Daily Sun that key supporters of the gladiators have moved to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, in solidarity for their respective camps.

According to him, “Party members, especially supporters of Anyanwu and Ude-Okoye are apprehensive over the Supreme Court case. This is because no one knows where the pendulum will swing. But, whichever way it goes will have some implications for the party and some of our leaders too. Our members in Anambra State did not buy nomination forms because of the crisis over the national secretary position. Nobody wants to throw away his or her money.”

Nevertheless, the PDP national publicity secretary, Debo Ologunagba, told Daily Sun that he was not aware of any form of anxiety in the party as a result of the Supreme Court’s hearing on the disputed national secretary’s seat. Ologunagba insisted that the functions have neither been affected by national secretary tussle nor the pending Supreme Court case on the matter.

“I don’t know who your sources are. I speak for the party. I do know that if a matter is in court, it is subjudice and I recognise that as a lawyer. It is actually a hearing. It does not stop our party from working. We had a NWC meeting at the weekend, and at that meeting, we made far-reaching decisions.”

Meanwhile, the PDP NWC, in a special announcement signed by Ude-Okoye, as national secretary, yesterday, announced the postponement of the party’s NEC meeting for the fourth consecutive time. The NEC, after its meeting on April 18, 2024, had adjourned to August 2024. However, the NWC later shifted the meeting to October 24, 2024, November 29, 2024 and March 13, 2025, giving different excuses on each occasion.

Ude-Okoye, in the announcement, noted that the decision to further reschedule the NEC meeting was reached after consultations with stakeholders and relevant organs of the opposition party.

According to him, “Following emerging issues, including the need to conclude our pending zonal, state, local government and ward congresses, as well as to allow for further consultation to ensure a hitch-free conduct of the meeting, especially with regard to other proposed activities of our party, the NWC after due consultation with leaders, stakeholders and relevant organs of the party, including the Board of Trustees (BoT), the PDP Governors’ Forum and the PDP National Assembly Caucus, hereby, wishes to notify distinguished members of NEC that the 99th NEC meeting earlier scheduled for Thursday, March 13, 2025, has been unavoidably shifted to Thursday, May 15, 2025.”