PDP begs South East caucus to drop threat over National Secretary position

By Tunde Opalana

Leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has begged the South East zonal l caucus of the party to drop the threat of dumping the party should its demand on the position of the National Secretary of the party was not met.

The South East caucus at the presentation of it’s resolution to the National Working Committee (NWC) at the PDP national secretariat on Tuesday demanded that Rt. Hon Sunday Ude- Okoye be recognized by the party as PDP National Secretariat.

Deputy National Chairman, Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja, who represented the acting National Chairman, Ambassador Ilya Damagum noted the grievance of the zonal body and promised that the NWC will look into it to find lasting solution to give PDP peace in the zone and at the national level.

He said the submitted resolution will be discussed during the next meeting of the NWC, decide on the way forward, and forward the decision to the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on May 27, this month.

“We will look at it, we will do justice to it, we will do our best.

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“But you know, when we transmit it to the NEC, which I am quite sure most of the members are present there, some of our leaders who are not here as well, who are members of NEC as well, so we can find a lasting solution jointly to it,” he said.

Begging the zone on behalf of the NWC, Arapaja said “but there is something that I read somewhere, but I will ask that you will consider your position with the PDP.

“I know you are not happy and I understand why you are not happy, but even as you are angry out there, we can find a solution. It’s like a landlord running out of his own house, because the house is leaking.

“So, we’ll do our best, we’ll do is to fix the problem, and I know we can do it, together we can do it. There is a solution. This is the only party that belongs to the people. Yes, it doesn’t belong to the anybody. It’s the only party where you can feel peaceful, you can express your opinion. It’s just like that in any family.

“So, I want to appeal that. We can do it. We can resolve it. And I know we will resolve it. And I know, and I’m quite sure, that PDP will overcome.

“As I said, the resolution will be thoroughly discussed. We’ll do our best and as you know, NEC has the final say,” he said.

Presenting the resolution on behalf of the group, leader of the South East delegation and Senate Minority Whip, Senator Ostia Ngwu said the zonal caucus stand firm on the resolution reached on the 14th of May, 2025 at the Southeast Zonal Executive Committee at the Enugu State Government House.

He said “after the meeting, a committee was raised and the reason why we visited here today is to make a presentation of the communique that was issued at the end of the meeting.

“Mr. Chairman, if you recall, on March 31st, 2025, the Supreme Court, which is the apex court of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, brought to a closure the protracted issue surrounding the puzzle of the National Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party.

“Following that judgment of the Supreme Court, the PDP Government House forum also met in Oyo State on the 14th of April, 2025, and also passed a resolution.

“You can also recall that here, at the National Office on April 29th, the National Working Committee also met and adopted that resolution of the governor’s forum. And what is that resolution?

“The resolution is that the South East Zonal Executive Committee should meet and nominate a candidate that will fill in the position of the National Secretary.

“Mr. Chairman, I need to remind us, or make it clear, that the position of the South East on this issue has always been to find a pathway to a lasting resolution of the impacts and crisis in the PDP.

“And also, in all intent and purpose, to ensure that this party continues to progress well. We are looking for a lasting peace so that we can perform better in the upcoming and subsequent election.

“Mr. Chairman, from our communique, which is in this report that I am going to hand over to you, and in the meeting that was recently held by the South East Executive Committee of the party at the Zonal Office, we unanimously agreed and nominated the former youth leader of the party, Rt. Honorable S.K. Ude-Okoye, to be our nominee for the position of the National Secretary of our great party, the PDP.

“Mr. Chairman, we are going to give you this report, and our prayers and our urge and our appeal is that this party should carefully look through even other precedents that have been set in replacement of National Working Committee members or other officers of the committee of the PDP that has been done. We are not trying to set a precedent. We are not trying to do a new thing because precedent has been set.

“We are asking you to look at a zone who has been the backdrop and backbone of the PDP, a zone who has delivered all the National Assembly members, all governors to the PDP in the past, a zone who is eager to redeem its past glory.

“We are praying that the request of this zone should not be jeopardized. Let us look at it based on the point of its merits.

“Let it be a stepping stone in our urge and our drive to reposition our party. We are not here to make another request, but we are speaking to our consciences so that whatever decision that is taken at the end should be for the interest of the party and a position that is going to support us, a position that is going to lift the morale of the members of this great party towards a sustainable growth and a path of recovery.”

In his opening remark, the PDP National Vice Chairman, South East, Chief. Ali Odefa said the NWC at its 600th meeting adopted the resolution of the PDP Governors Forum which include nominating Ude- Okoye’s name as National Secretary of the party from the zone.

According to him, the Zonal Executive Meeting was well attended by members who are constitutionally supposed to be in attendance during which the resolutions presented by Ngwu were taken..

At the event were NWC members which includes the acting National Secretary, Arc. Setonji Koshoefo and some NWC members, former National Organiding Secretary, Senator Austin Akobundu, Jon. Dennis Agbo and the pioneer National Woman Leader of the party, Iyom Josephine Anenih.