By Euclid Myke, Abuja
The controversy surrounding the legitimate occupant of the office of the National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may be laid to rest today (Friday) as the Supreme court is set to deliver judgement.
The leadership of the main opposition party has been engulfed in crisis which erupted after Sen. Samuel Anyanwu emerged as the governorship candidate of the party in Imo State around August, 2023.
Following Anyanwu emergence, a section of the South East zonal stakeholders at a meeting in Enugu, elected Hon. Sunday Ude-Okoye as Anyanwu replacement, claiming that the party’s guidelines provided that any party official that emerges as a candidate of the party for an election must relinquish his party position.
However, Sen. Anyanwu countered the nomination, insisting that such laws were not in the party’s constitution nor in any official document of the party.
The development created a chasm among party stakeholders. While some members of the National Working Committee (NWC) and other stakeholders were in support of Anyanwu, other NWC members including members of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) and governors’ forum threw their weight behind Ude Okoye.
As the controversy raged, the matter was filed before a State High Court in Enugu and Court of Appeal, Enugu Division subsequently and they pronounced Ude-Okoye as the substantive National Secretary of the party.
Anyanwu however obtained an order from a Federal High Court, Abuja Division which ordered that the party should maintain “Status quo ante bellum” while he filed another appeal at the Supreme court requesting for a stay of execution.
Anyanwu had alleged that the Vice Chairman South East, Chief Ali Odefa in cahoot with Ude-Okoye altered the party’s document and smuggled in a clause that gave the impression that he ought to have resigned having won the governorship primary of the party. He further argued that such document was what the duo used to deceive the governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah to buy into their plans and also used same to misinform the court.
Speaking with journalists on the development, he said, “The issue is very clear. This started with the National Vice Chairman, South-South, who has now been removed by the court. He presided over a kangaroo meeting and misled the Enugu State Governor into believing I had violated the constitution.
“I obtained a Federal High Court judgment affirming my position and stating that my tenure remains valid until December 2025. Despite this, on December 20th, the Appeal Court in Enugu ruled in favor of Ude-Okoye. We have since filed an appeal at the Supreme Court, and an interim stay of execution has been granted.”
Anyanwu called on party leaders to prioritize unity over personal ambitions, stating, “This crisis is driven by some individuals’ political ambitions for 2027. I remain committed to rallying the party and ensuring its survival.”
