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Tag: Udeh-Okoye

  • PDP national secretary tussle: Anyanwu writes NEC, BoT, governors, says Udeh-Okoye has no right to sign document

    PDP national secretary tussle: Anyanwu writes NEC, BoT, governors, says Udeh-Okoye has no right to sign document

    The battle for the position of National Secretary in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took a dramatic turn on Sunday night as Senator Samuel Anyanwu accused his rival, Hon. Sunday Udeh-Okoye, of being an “agent of destruction.”

    The latest dispute was triggered by a letter purportedly issued by Udeh-Okoye, claiming that the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) had rescheduled the party’s 99th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting from March 15, 2025, to May 15, 2025. 

    The letter, bearing Udeh-Okoye’s name but lacking his signature, was sent to reporters via the PDP Publicity Directorate.

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    Anyanwu, viewing the letter as an attempt to usurp his position, swiftly reacted with a strongly worded memo addressed to PDP NEC members, the Board of Trustees, PDP governors, and other party leaders.

    In the memo titled “Re: Notice Of 99th National Executive Committee Meeting,” Anyanwu dismissed Udeh-Okoye’s claim, insisting, “Udeh-Okoye is not the National Secretary of our dear party and was never in any NWC meeting where he was mandated to issue such notice.”

    The escalating tension underscores the deepening internal crisis within the PDP as the two factions continue to battle for control of the party’s leadership.

    “Our party leaders, NEC members, BOT, Governors Forum and general public are hereby advised to disregard the purported letter as it emanates from a non-official and authoritative source; the said Udeh Okoye |s not the National Secretary of our dear Party and was never in any NWC meeting where he was mandated to issue such notice. 

    “Udeh Okoye should be aware that he is under a restraining order of the court of competent jurisdiction to stop parading himself as the National Secretary of POP pending the determination of the appeal lying before the apex court of the nation; the issuance of an official letter of the PDP in the title of the National Secretary amounts to total disobedience to the rule of law and an act contemptuous of the order of the judiciary 

    “It is obvious from the conduct of Udeh-Okoye that he is an agent set to destroy the Party; he is therefore warned to refrain from further act that tend to undermine the peace and stability of the party and again impugn the integrity of the judiciary. 

    “NOTHING COMING FROM the said Udeh-Okoye is recognized by law; he is only putting the party to public ridicule. 

    “On the issue of the NEC meeting, the rescheduled date will be communicated accordingly and appropriately,” Senator Samuel Anyanwu stated while affirming that he remains the only validly-elected PDP National Secretary as he was elected at a national convention of the party and recognized by the Independent National Electoral Commission and the law.

  • Why we accepted Udeh-Okoye as our new national secretary, by PDP

    Why we accepted Udeh-Okoye as our new national secretary, by PDP

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accepted Honourable Sunday Udeh-Okoye as its National Secretary, replacing Senator Samuel Anyanwu, who still lays claim to the position. 

    The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Debo Ologunagba, explained that the decision was compelled by clear affirmations in two court orders from both the High Court and the Federal Court of Appeal.

    Addressing journalists at the PDP National Secretariat in Abuja, Ologunagba also commented on the recent assault on The Sun newspaper correspondent, Mr. Ndubuisi Orji, by a PDP staff member, Mr. Emmanuel Okoronkwo. 

    He described the incident as unfortunate but emphasized that it does not reflect the party’s commitment to lawfulness and democratic principles.

    “The PDP firmly believes in abiding by the law and upholding democratic tenets,” Ologunagba stated.

    “There were two court orders and on December 24, 2023, after consultation with the PDP National Legal Adviser, it was confirmed that we have received the judgment on the appeal affirming Hon S. K. Udeh-Okoye, as the National Secretary of the party; we are a rule of law compliant party, we believe in this finality of the judicial process.

    “We have always respected judicial pronouncement and we will always abide by that culture; the position of the party has not changed to that; in consistence with our position in the past as rule of law compliant party, we are obeying the order of court; we will follow the processes and ensure full compliance with the pronouncement of the Court of Appeal.

    “We have received the judgment of the Court of Appeal that affirmed, Right Honorable S. K. E. Udeokoye, as National Secretary of PDP as as a party, we are bound by that judgment because it’s the judgment from the highest court to date,” the PDP national spokesman explained.

    Pointing out that ‘there is a criminal dimension’ to a PDP staff, Mr. Emmanuel Okoronkwo’s physical assault on The Sun newspaper’s reporter, Mr, Ndubuisi Orji who only came into Wadata Plaza to ask whether there was any party activity going on, Ologunagba  described the action as unauthorized and inconsistent with the party’s values.

    “We dissociate ourselves from this activity because he acted alone from our preliminary investigation; we are going to go through an established procedure within the system to understand, and we will come out with our findings.

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    “That said, Emmanuel Okoronkwo who is a staff of this party had no business at all with security apparatus of the party and the worst was his being here at that time, particularly since we were on vacation; he had no business being here.

    “If he got instruction from anywhere, whoever he claims it to be, then he would take responsibility for those actions; we are saying that he acted alone but if he says he was acting on instruction, that would be his own issue to deal with; this party did not give (such) instruction to him, he had no business being here.

     “If he was here and found to have committed a crime, then he should bear the consequences either personally or with whoever might have sent him, if indeed he was sent,” Ologunagba added.

    “If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each man’s life, sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility.”