Governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have endorsed Sunday Ude-Okoye as the substantive National Secretary of the party, following a meeting of the PDP Governors Forum held in Asaba, the Delta State capital, on Friday.
The governors also urged the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) to convene the much-anticipated National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on March 13, 2025, and called on President Bola Tinubu to reassess and adjust current economic policies, which they claim have inflicted hardship on Nigerians.
These resolutions were contained in a communique issued at the end of the meeting.
The endorsement of Ude-Okoye comes after the Court of Appeal sitting in Enugu declared him the substantive National Secretary.
This judgment followed the vacancy left by Senator Sam Anyanwu, who had stepped aside to contest the 2024 Imo State governorship election.
However, the situation remains contentious as Anyanwu continues to assert his claim to the position, citing his appeal of the court ruling at the Supreme Court and a stay of execution as grounds for maintaining the status quo.
“I’m still the National Secretary. The status quo remains because I’m on appeal,” Anyanwu insisted, adding that Ude-Okoye has no authority to assume the position despite the court’s decision.
The conflict escalated into a physical confrontation at the PDP National Secretariat during a Board of Trustees (BoT) meeting last Wednesday.
During the altercation, an aide to Anyanwu allegedly assaulted Ude-Okoye, forcibly removing him from the hall.
Ude-Okoye later returned to the meeting, backed by some members of the party.
After reviewing the matter, the governors unanimously resolved to support the Appeal Court’s decision and tasked the NWC with implementing it.
“The Forum noted with delight the ongoing efforts at resolving the crisis in the National Working Committee, NWC, on the position of the National Secretary and reaffirmed its support for the Court of Appeal judgment. Consequently, the Forum advised the NWC to set up the machinery for the effective implementation of the court judgment,” the communique stated.
The governors also advised the NWC to convene the long-overdue National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on March 13, 2025, instead of February as earlier expected.
“The Forum, having examined all the notices required by law to validly convoke NEC, advised the NWC to reschedule NEC to the 13th of March, 2025,” the communique read.
Deliberating on the nation’s economic challenges, the governors criticized the macroeconomic policies of the Federal Government, noting their adverse impact on Nigerians.
They called on the government to revisit or overhaul these policies to alleviate the hardship being faced by citizens.
“The Forum reviewed the performance of member states and the state of the nation, as well as developments in the party.
“It noted the monumental socio-economic, security, and infrastructure challenges that confronted the nation in 2024.
“The Forum commended PDP governors for implementing policies aimed at alleviating the plight of citizens and creating a foundation for sustainable development in their states.
“However, it expressed deep concern over the Federal Government’s macroeconomic policies that have inflicted pain and hardship on Nigerians.
“The Forum calls on the Federal Government to either revisit or rejig its macroeconomic policies to alleviate the suffering of the people, as no meaningful progress can be achieved in the states until these harsh policies are addressed,” the communique stated.
The governors also expressed alarm over the resurgence of non-state actors in the country, despite the efforts of the Armed Forces.
They urged the Federal Government to strengthen the nation’s security architecture to address the growing threat.
“While commending the patriotic efforts of the Armed Forces and Security Agencies in securing the country, the Forum expressed concern over the resurgence of brazen non-state actors.
“It, therefore, calls for the strengthening of the nation’s security architecture,” the communique added.
The governors reassured Nigerians of the PDP’s commitment to addressing the nation’s challenges, promising a return to the “glorious days” before 2015, characterized by security, unity, and economic stability.
The meeting was attended by Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, who serves as the Forum’s Chairman, and other PDP governors, including Siminalayi Fubara (Rivers), Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom), Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri (Adamawa), Douye Diri (Bayelsa), Peter Mbah (Enugu), Ademola Adeleke (Osun), Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau), Agbu Kefas (Taraba), and Dauda Lawal (Zamfara). Oyo State Deputy Governor Bayo Lawal represented Governor Seyi Makinde.
Credit: Nigerian Tribune