● Stephanie Daberechukwu
Enugu, Nigeria – May 14, 2025
In a decisive move aimed at restoring unity and stability within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the South East Zonal Executive Committee (ZEC) on Wednesday unanimously endorsed Hon. Sunday Udeh-Okoye as the rightful candidate to complete the tenure of the party’s National Secretary. The meeting, held at the Government House in Enugu, came on the heels of a Supreme Court verdict affirming the autonomy of political parties in resolving internal leadership disputes.
Chaired by Chief Ali Odefa, the South East PDP Zonal Chairman, the high-level gathering of party leaders resolved to adopt the recommendations of the PDP Governors’ Forum and the National Working Committee (NWC), which directed the zone to put forward a nominee for the National Secretary position zoned to it.
“We believe the directive of the NWC offers a sure pathway to peace, unity, stability, and progress of our party,” said Chief Odefa. “Consequently, the ZEC unanimously recommended Hon. Sunday Udeh-Okoye as the candidate to complete the term of office of the National Secretary.”
The communique issued at the end of the meeting urged the NWC to uphold its April 29, 2025 resolution – taken during its 600th meeting in Abuja – by allowing the Deputy National Secretary to act in the interim until the NEC ratifies Udeh-Okoye’s nomination.
The endorsement reignites a long-standing internal debate that has seen the South East ZEC reiterate the same position multiple times without final implementation. The zone had previously nominated Udeh-Okoye in October 2023, reaffirmed the choice in February 2024, and again in January 2025, all without official ratification.
“Our zone has had to go through this process for the umpteenth time,” the communique noted with visible frustration. “Unlike other zones where vacant national offices are seamlessly filled, the South East has faced repeated delays.”
The PDP in the South East emphasized its unwavering loyalty and contributions to the party since inception, even as the PDP grapples with post-2023 election defections. The zone highlighted major inroads in Enugu State, where the Labour Party governorship candidate and two House of Representatives members have returned to the PDP. In a notable turnaround, the party’s seats in the Enugu State House of Assembly have risen from 10 to 20 since the inauguration of the current Assembly.
“This resurgence in Enugu is not accidental,” said one ZEC member who preferred not to be named. “It is a product of strategic engagement and loyalty to the PDP’s ideals, which we expect to be reciprocated.”
The communique concluded with a veiled warning: “We hope that this time around, the position of the South East PDP regarding the Office of the National Secretary is accorded the honour and immediacy it deserves. This would bring to closure the needless lingering dispute over the matter. However, in the event that our position is not promptly implemented by the Party, the South East PDP, as a family, will be compelled to reconsider our relationship with the PDP going forward.”
The latest development is seen as a litmus test for how the PDP intends to manage internal equity, party loyalty, and regional balance ahead of the 2027 general elections. Hon. Sunday Udeh-Okoye, a seasoned political strategist and former National Youth Leader of the PDP, is widely respected across party lines and is expected to bring renewed vigor to the national secretariat if ratified. GMTNewsng
