South-East PDP leaders threaten to dump party

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The South East caucus of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, or PDP, has threatened to force a mass exodus from the party if its selection of Hon. Udeh-Okoye as National Secretary is not upheld for the umpteenth time, further exacerbating the crisis already plaguing the party.

This came as former Imo State governor Chief Achike Udenwa and Senator Adolphus Wabara, the chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees, expressed their rage over what they called the party’s disrespect and trampling of the region’s rights, while Dr. Peter Mbah, the governor of Enugu State and the zone’s PDP leader, said it was time for the zone to speak with one voice.

The zone aired its displeasure in a communique delivered by the Zonal Chairman, Chief Ali Odefa, at the end of a meeting by the South East Zonal Executive, ZEC, at the Government House, Enugu on .

It said the meeting was convened to propose a candidate to finish the remaining term of the position of National Secretary in line with the direction of the party’s National Working Committee, NWC, during its 600th meeting in Abuja.

Rendering the communique, Odefa said, “The South East ZEC exhaustively deliberated on the directive of the NWC and came to the conclusion that it offered a sure pathway to peace, unity, stability, and progress of our party. Consequently, the ZEC unanimously recommended Hon. Sunday Udeh-Okoye as the candidate to complete the term of office of the National Secretary.”

Nonetheless, the South East PDP expressed regret that it had to repeatedly nominate Udeh-Okoye since October 2023 and urged the NWC to not only approve his nomination right away but also make sure that Arch. Setonji Koshoedo serves as the National Secretary in an acting capacity while Udeh-Okoye is ratified by the NEC.

However, despite its longstanding allegiance to the PDP, the South East PDP warned to review its continued membership in the party should its position continue to be delayed.

“The South East has consistently served as a stronghold of the PDP from inception. In PDP’s 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 elections, the South East PDP is at the vanguard of strengthening the Party by rallying major opposition figures such as in Enugu where the Labour Party, LP, gubernatorial candidate, two LP House of Representatives Members, numerous members of the House of Assembly, among other stalwarts into the PDP fold.

“Therefore, 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 a closure to 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 communique concluded.

According to Wabara, the purpose was to examine the region’s connection with the party in the event that the party engaged in what he called “zone trampling.”

“We have been trampled upon, not taken seriously. If such a position were vacant in the South-South, it would not be like this. And now, it came to us. I mean, the usual thing is to play politics with the Igbo man. Yes, we may have to reconsider our stand as far as the party is concerned. But I trust the NWC,” he stated.

Udenwa, on his part, Udenwa said, “We are expecting that this issue will be finally ironed out once and for all. We do not want to be taken for granted by anybody again.”

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