Senate President Godswill Akpabio publicly ridiculed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over its ongoing leadership crisis in the Senate chamber on Wednesday, sarcastically asking Senate Minority Leader Patrick Abba Moro who the party’s national secretary is.
He asked, “Who is your (PDP) National Secretary? The governors have their National Secretary and other members have their National Secretary.”
Senator Moro maintained that Senator Samuel Anyanwu was the rightful National Secretary of the PDP, amid an ongoing controversy over the position, which was further complicated by PDP governors recognizing Sunday Udeh-Okoye as the new National Secretary.
In a similar vein, the PDP’s Board of Trustees, at a meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, backed the PDP Governors and reiterated its recognition of Udeh-Okoye as the authentic National Secretary.
The board, in a communiqué signed by BoT Chairman Senator Adolphus Wabara, stated that its decision was based on the findings of a committee led by Barrister Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, and cited a declarative judgment from the High Court of Enugu, which was upheld by the Court of Appeal, affirming Udeh-Okoye as the rightful National Secretary.
“The BoT, by adopting the report, recognizes Hon. Sunday Udeh-Okoye as the substantive National Secretary of the PDP in full obedience to the declaratory judgment of the High Court of Enugu, as also upheld by the Court of Appeal, there being no contrary or overriding judgment from any court of superior jurisdiction,” the communiqué read.
The BoT called on the NWC to immediately swear in Udeh-Okoye and urged all PDP stakeholders to abide by the court’s ruling. It also commended the PDP Governors’ Forum, the NWC, and other party organs for their commitment to upholding the party’s constitution and guidelines.
The drama in the Senate followed the official defection of Senator Ned Nwoko, who represents Delta North, from the PDP to the APC. In his defection letter, read aloud by Akpabio, Nwoko cited the PDP’s internal crisis as the reason for his departure.
The BoT urged the NWC to immediately swear in Udeh-Okoye and called on all PDP stakeholders to respect the court’s ruling. The BoT also commended the PDP Governors’ Forum, the NWC, and other party organs for upholding the party’s constitution and guidelines. Meanwhile, Senator Ned Nwoko, representing Delta North, officially defected from the PDP to the APC, citing the PDP’s internal crisis as the reason for his departure.
“In view of this, I urge the Senate to take this matter seriously by setting up an ad hoc committee to investigate the crisis within the PDP and recommend a way forward to safeguard our democracy,” Nwoko stated. He urged the committee to examine the root causes of the party’s internal conflict and propose reforms to ensure a strong and viable opposition.
Senate President Akpabio has stated that he will not establish the committee, as the matter is currently in court.
