Despite the PDP Governors’ Forum supporting Sunday Ude-Okoye as the party’s scribe, the troubled National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, has returned to his position at the party’s National Headquarters.
Citing the Appeal Court’s decision, the PDP Governors forum, chaired by Bala Mohammed, the governor of Bauchi State, affirmed Ude-Okoye as the party’s national secretary on Friday and directed the National Working Committee to carry out the rule.
However, Anyanwu, wearing white, arrived at the PDP National headquarters at Wadata Plaza shortly after noon and went directly to his office to take care of party matters.
Keep in mind that the PDP has been experiencing severe internal strife prior to and beyond the general elections in 2023, which has resulted in continued instability within the party. Deep rifts have been caused by these problems, making it difficult to settle internal party disputes.
Party members have been increasingly critical of Umar Damagum, the acting National Chairman, accusing him of being responsible for the party’s ongoing problems. He succeeded former National Chairman Iyorchia Ayu, who was ousted by the court for not enacting the required reforms, further complicating the party’s leadership change.
Disagreements around the National Secretary job have made the PDP’s leadership problem worse. The party’s South East zone nominated the former National Youth Leader in 2023 to succeed Anyanwu, who was selected as the party’s nominee for governor of Imo State.
The South East faction demanded that Anyanwu resign from his position because of his new political obligations, which further exacerbated the split caused by this appointment. Ude-Okoye was confirmed as the new National Secretary by the Appeal Court in Enugu on December 20, 2024, and the party leadership received the formal notification on December 24.
But on January 27, 2025, the Abuja Court of Appeal granted a restraining order, telling Anyanwu to hold his job until the Supreme Court renders a decision.
This marked a change in the course of events. When Anyanwu supporters forcibly ejected Ude-Okoye from the Board of Trustees meeting on Wednesday, tensions increased and security had to step in to restore order.
PDP governors, led by Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, responded by endorsing the Court of Appeal’s ruling and requesting that the NWC take action to put it into effect.
They also confirmed Ude-Okoye as the party’s National Secretary and disassociated themselves from Anyanwu during a meeting in Asaba, Delta State.
Anyanwu urged that he continue to serve as the PDP National Secretary in his plea to the IG, Supreme Court, and Appeal Court, among other courts.
He called the party’s governors’ choice to back Ude-Okoye as national secretary a crisis call and asked them to step in.