From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
Staff at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Secretariat, Wadata Plaza, Abuja has expressed support for the acting national secretary, Setonji Koshedo.
The staff, after a meeting, on Wednesday, said noted that the decision of the National Working Committee ( NWC) to appoint Koshedo as acting secretary, pending the nomination of a substantive national secretary, in line with the party constitution was necessary the restore confidence in the party
The director of administration, Gurama Bawa, while briefing journalists, on behalf of the staff, after their meeting, at the party secretariat, there is need to ensure stability in the opposition party in the run-up to the 2027 general elections.
The PDP has been enmeshed in crisis since the beginning of the year owing to disputation on who is the authentic national secretary of the opposition party.
The South East caucus had nominated former national youth leader, Sunday Ude-Okoye, as replacement for Senator Samuel Anyanwu as national secretary, after the latter emerged candidate in the last Imo gubernatorial poll.
Ude-Okoye nomination was latter affirmed by an Enugu High Court, while the Court of Appeal Enugu Division, in a majority judgment on an appeal filed by Anyanwu, upheld the verdict of the of lower court.
However, the Supreme Court in its verdict on the issue upheld the minority judgment, which stated that the issue of party scribe was an internal issue of the party, which the court has no jurisdiction over.
Consequently, the PDP Governors Forum, at its meeting in Ibadan recently recommended that Koshedo should assume as national secretary in acting capacity, pending the nomination of a substantive national secretary from the South East.
While the NWC has ratified the governors’ recommendation, Anyanwu is still laying claim to the National Secretary position. Nonetheless, the staff while acknowledging Anyanwu’s contributions to the party, said there is no sacrifice too big for him to make in the overall interest of the party.
“We are aware that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has received and acknowledged Arch Setonji Koshoedo as the Acting National Secretary of the PDP.
“We are also aware that INEC is receiving and attending to correspondences of our party signed by Arch Setonji Koshoedo, contrary to false narratives by certain quarters.
“As Staff of the PDP, we fully recognize and appreciate the roles and contributions Senator Anyanwu has played and made for the growth and success of the party especially issues regarding to staff welfare but at this moment we strongly believe that there is no sacrifice too high for any individual to make for the overall interest of our party,” they stated.