According to a report by Vanguard News, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, a prominent candidate vying for the position of National Secretary within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has openly defied the directive issued by the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT)....CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING.>>
The BoT had instructed the National Working Committee (NWC) to proceed with the swearing-in of his rival, Sunday Ude-Okoye. Anyanwu vehemently opposed this decision, citing an ongoing legal dispute and highlighting the fact that the tenure of approximately 80% of the BoT members who attended the meeting had already expired.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The meeting in question took place at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja. Additionally, Anyanwu emphasized that neither he nor the National Chairman of the party, who also serves as a member of the BoT, were extended an invitation to attend the meeting. This exclusion, he argued, further undermined the legitimacy of the BoT’s decision.
Anyanwu expressed his disapproval, saying, “I’m a member of the BoT, I was not invited to the meeting, and neither was the National Chairman. This shows a lot. In any case, the tenure of about 80% of those at the meeting expired in October last year.
They are also aware that this matter is in court. Even Chairman Wabara, who was taken to court, sent a representative. Their advice is just that — advice, and it cannot be taken seriously.”
The BoT had previously instructed the NWC to swear in Ude-Okoye as the official National Secretary, based on the judgment of the Enugu High Court, which was confirmed by the Court of Appeal. This resolution was reached after an emergency meeting held at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel.
During the meeting, BoT Chairman, Senator Adolphus Wabara, who read the communiqué, emphasized that the board had thoroughly reviewed the situation and adopted the recommendations of the Saminu Turaki-led committee. Wabara pointed out that the committee had carefully considered the court judgments related to the dispute between Senator Anyanwu and Hon. Ude-Okoye regarding the National Secretary position.
The BoT’s resolution affirmed its role as a central organ of the PDP and highlighted its constitutional duty to uphold the highest standards of morality within the party. The board officially recognized Hon. Sunday Ude-Okoye as the substantive National Secretary and instructed the NWC to immediately swear him in.
The BoT further urged all party organs, stakeholders, and members to respect the judgment of the Court of Appeal concerning the National Secretary position. They also praised the efforts of the PDP Governors’ Forum, NWC, and the South East Executive Committee in ensuring the party’s constitutional provisions were upheld.
Wabara, in his opening remarks, reaffirmed that the PDP remains the party of choice for Nigerians. He stressed the importance of unity and collective efforts to tackle the challenges facing the party. Wabara also mentioned the upcoming National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, scheduled for March 13, 2025, as a critical platform for shaping the future of the party and the nation.
He noted that, due to security concerns, the meeting would be held outside the party’s National Secretariat and urged the leadership to address these security issues promptly to ensure a safe environment for future gatherings.
It is important to note that Senator Anyanwu, who was the PDP candidate in the 2023 governorship election, had previously retained his position as National Secretary. However, PDP stakeholders in the South East convened in Enugu, where they resolved to nominate Ude-Okoye as his successor, arguing that the position belonged to the zone.
The meeting was attended by prominent party figures, including BoT Chairman Senator Wabara, BoT Secretary Senator Ahmed Makarfi, and former governors.
