The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Southeast has formally nominated Sunday Ude-Okoye as its consensus candidate for the position of National Secretary, marking an end to the long-running controversy surrounding the office.
At a zonal meeting held Tuesday in Enugu, the PDP South East Zonal Executive Committee, led by National Vice Chairman Chief Ali Odefa, along with key stakeholders—including Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu, members of the National Assembly, State Assemblies, former governors, and Board of Trustees members—unanimously reaffirmed Ude-Okoye’s nomination to replace former National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu.
“This decision offers a sure pathway to peace, unity, stability, and progress of our party,” the ZEC said in a communiqué issued after the meeting. “Consequently, the ZEC unanimously recommended Hon. Sunday Udeh-Okoye as the candidate to complete the term of office of the National Secretary.”
The communiqué further called on the National Working Committee (NWC) to uphold its earlier directive from its 600th meeting on April 29, 2025, and urged the National Executive Committee (NEC) to ratify Ude-Okoye’s nomination without delay.
“The South East ZEC further noted that the zone has had to go through this process for the umpteenth time, unlike what obtains in the filling of vacant national offices by other zones,” the statement added, referencing previous nominations in October 2023, February 2024, and January 2025 that reaffirmed Ude-Okoye’s candidacy.
Highlighting the South East’s longstanding commitment to the party, the ZEC said, “In its near three-decade existence, we have given our loyalty and all to the Party. Currently, while the Party has been losing key members post-2023 general election, the South East PDP is at the vanguard of strengthening the Party by rallying major opposition figures into the PDP fold.”
Reacting to the development, spokesman of the Opposition Lawmakers Coalition, Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, commended the South East PDP and Governor Mbah for what he described as a timely and necessary decision.
“This is a good step towards rescuing the PDP from extinction,” Ugochinyere said. “The NEC should ratify this decision immediately.”
He also praised members of the NWC and the Acting National Secretary, Setonji Koshoedo, for “choosing party interest above the politics of FCT plots of land.”