The spokesperson of Opposition Lawmakers Coalition, Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere, has commended the Management and staff of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national secretariat for throwing their weight behind the PDP Governors’ Forum and the National Working Committee (NWC) in recognising the party’s Deputy National Secretary, Arch. Setonji Koshoedo, as the acting National Secretary.
He also hailed the party staff for supporting the sack of former national secretary, Senator Chris Anyanwu.
At a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, PDP’s Director of Administration, Gurama Bawa, on behalf of the 83 secretariat staff, voiced concern over ongoing leadership tussle, especially regarding the National Secretary role.
The PDP has faced internal turmoil since the 2023 elections, escalating in December 2024 when a lower court named former National Youth Leader, Sunday Ude-Okoye, as National Secretary of the PDP.
While the PDP Governors’ Forum, Board of Trustees, and NWC accepted the ruling, Senator Samuel Anyanwu challenged it at the Supreme Court, which on March 21 dismissed his removal, stating that internal party matters were not for courts to decide.
In response, PDP governors on April 14 asked the South-East to nominate a new secretary and named Koshoedo as acting Nationa Secretary. The NWC later endorsed him at its 600th meeting on April 29.
Despite the efforts, the dispute over the National Secretary’s role persisted, splitting the party leadership.
To address this, serving and former governors appointed ex-Senate President Bukola Saraki to lead a 7-member committee to reconcile differences before the May 27 NEC meeting and the August elective convention.
Bawa, joined by about 83 other PDP staff, expressed their strong desire and concern to see the issues resolved promptly.
The PDP staff also urged Acting National Chairman Umar Damagum to take all necessary measures to ensure the NEC meeting holds as planned.
They emphasised that the meeting was crucial for addressing key issues and reinforcing the party’s core values of unity, discipline, loyalty, and adherence to its constitution.
He stated, “After a thorough consideration, the management and staff of the PDP National Secretariat unanimously align with and declare unalloyed loyalty to the recommendation of the PDP Governor’s Forum as adopted by the NWC in recognising and working with Arch Setonji Koshoedo as the Acting National Secretary of our party in line with the provisions of the PDP Constitution.
“We believe that the NWC’s directive that Arch Setonji Koshoedo acts as National Secretary is in the overall interest of the stability of our party being the best step at the moment to restore the confidence of members of the party and preserve the integrity of our internal processes given the sensitive nature of the office of the National Secretary in the operation of a political party.”
He added, “The judgement of the Supreme Court led to renewed disputation as Senator Anyanwu argued that it was in his favour because the judgements of both the Enugu State High Court and the Court of Appeal, Enugu Division were struct-out by the Supreme Court for lack of jurisdiction.
“However, the NWC in an official statement on the same March 21, 2025, stated that the Supreme Court judgment settled the emergence of SKE Udeh Okoye as the National Secretary having been duly nominated, endorsed and ratified through the internal mechanism of the PDP statutory organs and bodies in line with provisions of the PDP Constitution (as amended in 2017).
“As you may recall, in its bid to find a lasting solution, the PDP Governor’s Forum at its meeting on Monday, April 14, 2025, in Ibadan, Oyo State capital reiterated its position endorsing Hon Udeh Okoye as National Secretary but recommended that in the light of the Supreme Court Judgment, the Deputy National Secretary, Arch Setonji Koshoedo should act as the National Secretary pending the nomination and ratification of a substantive National Secretary from the South East Zone and National Executive Committee respectively at its next meeting.
“This recommendation, which is in consonance with Section 36 (2) of the PDP Constitution, was duly adopted by the NWC in its 600th meeting held on April 29, 2025 wherein in exercise of its powers under Section 29(2)(b) of the PDP Constitution directed the Deputy National Secretary, Arch Setonji Koshoedo, to act as the National Secretary pending the emergence of a substantive National Secretary.”
Commending their decision, Ugochinyere described them as reawakened soldiers of the party that have joined in dealing Anyanwu a fatal blow.
He noted that the era of resistance against politics of betrayal funded with FCT plots of land has just begun.
He congratulated the South-East for re-nominating Ude-Okoye for the position of substantive national secretary, and Koshoedo for helping to rescue the party.
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