The Board of Trustees of Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), has thrown its weight behind Sunday Ude-Okoye as the National Secretary. It has also directed the party’s National Working Committee, NWC, to immediately swear him in as the substantive national secretary, in line with the declarative judgment of Enugu High Court which was upheld by the Court of Appeal.
This was contained in a communique issued after an emergency meeting of the board at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, in Abuja on Wednesday.
Chairman of the BoT, Senator Adolphus Wabara, who read the communique, explained that the body thoroughly considered critical issues in the party before arriving at the decision.
He noted that the board also received, considered and adopted the recommendations of the Saminu Turaki-led committee set up to look into the court judgments on the dispute between Senator Samuel Anyanwu and Sunday Ude-Okoye over the national secretary position.
However, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, disagreed with the directive of the BoT, to the NWC to swear -in his rival on the grounds that the matter was still in Court and that the tenures of about 80 percent of members of the BoT who attended Wednesday’s meeting at the Transcorps Hilton Hotel expired in October last year.
The BoT had resolved as follows: “The Board of Trustees asserts its position as a prominent ORGAN of the PDP as enshrined under Section 13 (1)(r) of the Constitution of the PDP (as amended in 2017).
“The BoT also asserts its inherent authority under Section 32 (5)(a) of the Constitution of the PDP (as amended in 2017) which empowers it to “ensure highest standards of morality in all the activities of the Party by acting as the conscience of the Party, with powers to call to order any officer of the Party, whose conduct falls below the norms;
“The BoT in exercise of its constitutional powers received, exhaustively considered and hereby adopt the report of its committee led by Barr. Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, SAN, on the issue of the National Secretary of the PDP especially with regard to the declarative judgment of the High Court of Enugu as upheld by the Court of Appeal.
“Consequently, the BoT by adopting the report recognizes Hon. Sunday Udeh-Okoye as the substantive National Secretary of the PDP in full obedience to the declaratory Judgment of the High Court of Enugu as also upheld by the Court of Appeal there being no contrary or overriding judgment from any Court of superior jurisdiction.
“The BoT charges the National Working Committee, NWC, to recognize and immediately swear in Hon. Sunday Udeh-Okoye as the National Secretary of the PDP in obedience to the Judgment of the Court of Appeal.
“The BoT urges all party organs, critical stakeholders, leaders and members across the country as well as all democracy development partners and institutions to be guided by the judgment of the Court of Appeal with regard to the position of the National Secretary of the PDP.
“The BoT commends the PDP Governors’ Forum, the National Working Committee, South East Executive Committee and all other organs of the Party for their steadfastness in upholding the provisions of the Constitution and operational Guidelines of the PDP.
“The BoT expresses satisfaction with the PDP Governors’ Forum and the National Working Committee, NWC, for their concerted efforts in finally setting Thursday, March 13th, 2025 as the date for the much-anticipated National Executive Committee, NEC, meeting of our party, especially bearing in mind that the NEC meeting is the platform for critical deliberations that will shape the future of our party and by extension, the future of Nigeria.”
According to Wabara, the board unanimously passed a vote of confidence on chairman of the Board of Trustees, Senator Adolphus Wabara, and Secretary of the Board of Trustees, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, for their outstanding leadership in piloting the affairs of the BoT and stabilizing the party.
The board also urged all members of the party to remain united and continue to work together to strengthen the party to reclaim its rightful place in the leadership of the country.
It would be recalled that Senator Anyanwu, who was PDP candidate in the 2023 governorship election in Imo State, held on to his position as national secretary.
Although the PDP constitution did not compel him to resign to contest, PDP stakeholders in the South East held a meeting in Enugu and resolved to nominate Ude-Okoye as his replacement, arguing that the position was the zone’s.
According to Anyanwu, “I’m a member of the BoT, I was not invited to the meeting, the National Chairman too, who is also member wasn’t invited to the meeting that should tell you something.
“In any case, the tenure of about 80 percent of those who sat at that meeting expired since October last year.
“They are also aware that this matter is in Court even the Chairman, Wabara was taken to court and sent a representative to stand for him today. Their advice is what it is, an advice, it cannot be taken seriously.”
Credit: Vanguard
