The Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has officially endorsed Sunday Udeh-Okoye as the party’s substantive national secretary. This decision was announced in a communiqué issued after a meeting held in Abuja on Wednesday.
The move by the BoT follows a similar recognition by PDP governors, who earlier backed Udeh-Okoye for the position. The endorsement seeks to resolve the leadership tussle over the role of national secretary, a controversy that has pitched Udeh-Okoye against Senator Samuel Anyanwu.
The crisis began after Anyanwu became the PDP gubernatorial candidate for Imo State in 2023. The South-East Zonal Executive Committee of the party nominated Udeh-Okoye to replace him as national secretary. However, Anyanwu contested his removal and secured court injunctions to retain the position.
In December 2024, the Court of Appeal ruled in favour of Udeh-Okoye, stating he should assume the role of national secretary. The judgment overturned an earlier decision by a high court that had prevented Anyanwu’s removal. The appellate court described the high court’s ruling as lacking merit.
Despite the appellate court’s decision, Anyanwu filed an appeal at the Supreme Court and requested a stay of execution. He maintains that the judgment in favour of Udeh-Okoye does not finalize the matter, as the apex court has yet to rule on the case.
On January 29, the BoT convened a meeting and constituted a panel led by Kabiru Turaki, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and former minister of special duties. The panel was tasked with investigating the dispute and advising the BoT on the matter.
Following its deliberations, the panel recommended Udeh-Okoye as the legitimate national secretary of the PDP. This recommendation was adopted by the BoT, which cited the Appeal Court’s judgment as its guiding basis.
Adolphus Wabara, chairman of the BoT, presented the panel’s report to party members after Wednesday’s meeting. He stated that the BoT’s decision aligns fully with the appellate court’s verdict, noting that no superior court judgment contradicts it.
The BoT has urged the National Working Committee (NWC) to immediately recognize and swear in Udeh-Okoye as the party’s national secretary. It also called on all party stakeholders to respect the court’s ruling and work towards unity within the PDP.