The South East Zonal Executive Committee (ZEC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has unanimously endorsed Hon. Sunday Udeh-Okoye as its nominee for the office of the National Secretary of the Party. This decision was announced in a communique issued at the end of the committee’s meeting held today at the Government House, Enugu, Enugu State.
The meeting, convened in response to a directive from the National Working Committee (NWC), focused on filling the vacant National Secretary position, which is zoned to the South East. The move follows the Supreme Court judgment of March 21, 2025, which declared the matter of political party leadership as an internal affair, beyond the jurisdiction of the courts and INEC.
According to the communique signed by Chief Ali Odefa, Zonal Chairman of PDP South East, the ZEC described the NWC directive as a clear path to “peace, unity, stability, and progress” within the party. Consequently, the committee unanimously nominated Hon. Udeh-Okoye to serve out the remaining tenure of the office.
“We urge the NWC to uphold its decision at its 600th meeting held on April 29, 2025, by ensuring that the Deputy National Secretary functions in acting capacity pending the NEC’s ratification of our nominee,” the statement said.
The ZEC expressed dismay at the repeated delays and challenges faced by the South East zone in filling national positions, noting that this was the fourth time it had nominated Udeh-Okoye for the role since October 2023.
Despite the challenges, the communique highlighted the South East’s unwavering loyalty to the PDP since its inception and its pivotal role in rebuilding the party post-2023 general elections. It cited key defections from the Labour Party back to the PDP in Enugu State, as well as an increase in the PDP’s strength in the state House of Assembly—from 10 to 20 seats—as evidence of the region’s commitment.
However, the ZEC warned that any further delay in ratifying its decision could lead to serious consequences for the PDP’s relationship with the South East.
“We hope that this time around, the position of the South East PDP is accorded the honour and immediacy it deserves. Should this not be the case, the South East PDP, as a family, will be compelled to reconsider our relationship with the PDP going forward,” the statement concluded.
