The leadership crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has escalated, as two individuals—Sunday Ude-Okoye and Senator Sam Anyanwu—continue to assert their claims to the office of National Secretary.
The standoff, which has already divided members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) and Board of Trustees (BoT), threatens to destabilise the party as its national secretariat reopens after the holiday break, reports Nigerian Tribune.
Sunday Ude-Okoye, who was declared the substantive National Secretary by the Court of Appeal sitting in Enugu, has reportedly gained the support of some NWC members and BoT leaders. Meanwhile, Senator Anyanwu insists that he remains the legitimate office holder, citing his appeal of the court ruling to the Supreme Court as grounds for maintaining the status quo.
“I’m still the National Secretary. The status quo remains because I’m on appeal,” Anyanwu told our correspondent today.
He added that Ude-Okoye, despite the court ruling, has no authority to assume the position.
“He’s educated enough to know that cannot be the case,” he said.
The Court of Appeal had ruled in favour of Ude-Okoye, affirming his nomination by the South East Zone of the PDP as Anyanwu’s replacement. The court’s decision followed Anyanwu’s initial resignation from the position to contest the Imo State governorship election.
After his defeat in the election, Anyanwu returned to reclaim the National Secretary post, arguing that there was no vacancy.
Ude-Okoye, however, maintains that his nomination and the subsequent court judgement affirm his legitimacy. He has been seen at the party’s Wadata Plaza secretariat during the holidays, signalling his intent to assume full control of the office.
The conflict raises critical questions about the PDP’s internal governance and adherence to its constitution. Senator Anyanwu has consistently argued that the Court of Appeal overstepped by interfering in what he considers internal party matters.
He asserts that Ude-Okoye failed to exhaust internal dispute resolution mechanisms before turning to the judiciary, a violation of the party’s constitutional processes.
Also, Anyanwu avers that leadership matters within a political party are not justiciable and questions the jurisdiction of the courts in this matter.
PDP National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba has stated that the party will abide by the rule of law.
He confirmed receipt of the Appeal Court judgement on December 24, 2024, affirming Ude-Okoye as National Secretary.
“We are a rule-of-law-compliant party. We believe in the finality of the judicial process. We’ve always respected judicial pronouncements, and we will always abide by this culture,” Ologunagba said.
As the PDP secretariat reopens next week, both claimants are expected to take steps to consolidate their positions.
Ude-Okoye’s supporters are reportedly preparing for his formal assumption of office, while Anyanwu’s camp remains steadfast in maintaining his claim.
On the possible clash of both claimants at the national secretariat, he said the idea was mere speculation.
However, he declined to comment on the implications of Anyanwu’s appeal to the Supreme Court, reiterating the party’s commitment to upholding judicial rulings.
The struggle for the National Secretary post is the latest in a series of crises besetting the main opposition party, raising more concerns about the unity and future prospects of the PDP, particularly as it prepares for upcoming elections.
The internal rift between factions supporting Ude-Okoye and Anyanwu threatens to undermine the party’s ability to present a united front to the electorate.
Party stakeholders are worried that the leadership tussle might alienate members and create divisions that could be exploited by political rivals.
