The much-anticipated Peoples Democratic Party National Working Committee (NWC) meeting, presided over by Acting National Chairman Umar Damagun, concluded on Wednesday.
Thirteen NWC members voted to recognise Sunday Ude-Okoye as the substantive National Secretary.
However, five members chose to remain neutral and did not cast a vote.
The outgoing former secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, received zero votes, as no NWC member, including Damagun, supported him.
According to party executives, his activities have caused embarrassment to the party.
The NWC has officially removed Anyanwu from the official WhatsApp forum and added the authentic secretary, Ude-Okoye.
“Anyanwu, a member of the pro-Nyesom Wike All Progressives Congress camp, has been running around the Federal High Court seeking a belated secret injunction against PDP NWC and PDP NEC with a suit filed on his behalf by 2023 Labour Party former House of Representatives candidate Austin Nwachukwu, who is parading as Imo PDP Chairman while still a member of Labour Party,” a source said.
SaharaReporters has learned that the PDP NWC is in the process of transmitting its decision to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for compliance.
Reacting to the development, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, spokesman for the coalition of opposition lawmakers, described the NWC decision as a welcome development.
He added that it demonstrates the PDP’s capacity to avert the consequences of the crisis orchestrated by party members acting “under the influence of plots of land and petty cash.”
Last Wednesday, February 5, SaharaReporters reported that the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) had officially recognised Ude-Okoye as the party’s legitimate National Secretary and urged the party’s NWC to immediately swear him into office.
The decision was reached during an emergency meeting held on Wednesday at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja, convened to address the party’s ongoing leadership crisis.
The meeting was attended by prominent party figures, including BoT Chairman Senator Adolphus Wabara, BoT Secretary Senator Ahmed Makarfi, former governors Achike Udenwa, Sam Egwu, and Babangida Aliyu.
At the session, the BoT reviewed reports presented by former Minister of Special Duties, Tamini Turaki, who was tasked with reviewing court documents submitted by both Senator Samuel Anyanwu, the incumbent PDP National Secretary, and Sunday Udeh-Okoye, who had been contesting the legality of Anyanwu’s office.
Meanwhile, the BoT Chairman, Wabara commended PDP governors for advocating that the NWC hold its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in March.
He also cited last week’s violence as a reason for suspending meetings at the party’s national secretariat, Wadata Plaza, until security was fully restored.
However, the dispute over the PDP Secretary position has deepened internal divisions within the party, with Okoye and Anyanwu both laying claim to the office, leading to tensions among party members.
