The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees (BoT) has recognised Sunday Udeh-Okoye as the authentic national secretary of the party.
The BoT Chairman, Adolphus Wabara, disclosed this after the Board’s meeting held on Wednesday in Abuja.
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Mr Wabara said the recognition followed the recommendations of the Taminu Turaki-led committee set up by the party to study the legal dispute between Samuel Anyanwu and Mr Udeh-Okoye, both of whom are laying claim to the seat.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the PDP has been embroiled in leadership crisis, as Messrs Anyanwu and Udey-Okoye have continued to lay claim to office of the national secretary.
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A Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal, both sitting in Enugu, had, on 20 December, 2024 14 and January, removed Mr Anyanwu from office and recognised Mr Udeh-Okoye as the PDP national secretary.
Mr Anyanwu, however, later secured a stay of execution order from the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, in an appeal No. CA/E/24/2024 on the judgment earlier delivered by the Enugu division of the appellate court.
Also, the PDP Governors’ Forum had, in a communiqué issued after its meeting held on 30 January in Asaba, the Delta State capital, called for implementation of court judgment recognising Mr Udeh-Okoye as the secretary.
Adopting committee report
Mr Wabara said that the BoT, in exercise of its constitutional powers, received, exhaustively considered and adopted the report of the Turaki-led committee with regards to the declarative judgment of the High Court of Enugu, as upheld by the Court of Appeal on the matter.
“Consequently, the BoT by adopting the report, recognises Udeh-Okoye as the substantive national secretary of PDP,” he said.
Mr Wabara, a former senate president, said this was in full obedience to the declaratory judgment of the High Court of Enugu, as upheld by the Court of Appeal, as there had been no contrary or overriding judgment from any court of superior jurisdiction.
“The BoT charges the National Working Committee (NWC) to recognise and immediately swear in Udeh-Okoye as the national secretary of the PDP, in obedience to the judgment of the Court of Appeal.
“The BoT urges all party organs, critical stakeholders, leaders and members across the country as well as all democracy development partners and institutions to be guided by the judgment of the Court of Appeal with regard to the position of the national secretary of PDP,” he said.
The BoT chairman commended the PDP Governors’ Forum, the NWC, South East Executive Committee and all other organs of the party for their steadfastness in upholding the provisions of the constitution and operational guidelines of the party.
Vote of confidence
He also said that BoT unanimously passed a vote of confidence on him as the chairman and Ahmed Makarfi as secretary ‘for their outstanding leadership in piloting the affairs of the BoT and stabilising the party’.
Mr Wabara urged all members of the PDP to remain united and continue to work together to strengthen the party to reclaim its rightful place in the leadership of the country.
BoT action, invitation to chaos – Anyanwu
Meanwhile, Mr Anyanwu, has described the recognition of Mr Udeh-Okoye as the occupant of the position by the Board of Trustees (BoT) as an invitation to chaos.
READ ALSO: PDP kicks as Anyanwu defies court order, resumes as national secretary
He said in a telephone interview with NAN on Wednesday in Abua that the Board had no power to direct the party to recognise Mr Udeh-Okoye as the party’s national secretary.
He said the matter was already in court and the board had no power to offer such advice.
“You and I know that the matter is in Appeal Court and we shouldn’t even talk about it.
“The BoT members there, the tenure of some of them has expired; they can’t direct or advise the executive to do anything because their tenure had expired since October 2024.
“Beside, the matter is in the Appeal Court and there is a stay of execution order. So they (BoT) will be inviting chaos by making such statements,” Mr Anyanwu said.
(NAN)
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