PDP NWC affirms Udeh-Okoye as national secretary

Ude Okoye

•Ortom’s writes disciplinary panel, demands apology •As Benue chapter disown petitioners •We insist on Wabara’s suspension — Abia PDP

THE National Working Committee, NWC, of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has affirmed a former National Youth Leader, Sunday Ude-Okoye, as the party’s National Secretary.

This came on a day former Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom, demanded a written apology from the Tom Ikimi-led National Disciplinary Committee of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for exposing him to public ridicule in a widely publicized statement.

In a statement issued yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, the PDP NWC stated that it was bound by the judgment of the Court of Appeal on the matter.

The NWC stated that it had begun sending its resolution affirming Udeh-Okoye as the PDP national secretary to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and other relevant bodies for recognition, in accordance with the Court of Appeal’s judgment.

The statement read:  “The National Working Committee , NWC, of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, at its meeting today, Wednesday, February 12, 2025 extensively considered the memo dated 11th February, 2025 presented by the Acting National Chairman on the issue of the National Secretary of the PDP.

“The NWC, in considering the memo thoroughly examined the attached documents namely; the declaratory judgment of the High Court of Enugu, the judgment of the Court of Appeal, Enugu Division which pronounced and declared  S.K.E Udeh Okoye as the National Secretary of the PDP; the legal opinion and advice by Dr. Kabiru T. Turaki SAN as well as that of the National Legal Adviser of the PDP.

“After due consideration of the memo and the attachments, the NWC overwhelmingly recognises, acknowledges and confirms S.K.E Udeh Okoye as the substantive National Secretary of the PDP in full compliance with and obedience to the judgment of the Court of Appeal, recognising that there is no subsisting or superseding judgment or order from any court of superior authority or hierarchy.

“The NWC has commenced the transmission of its resolution/decision affirming  S.K.E Udeh Okoye as the PDP National Secretary to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC and other relevant bodies for recognition, in line with the judgment of the Court of Appeal.”

Meanwhile, former Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom, has demanded a written apology from the Tom Ikimi-led National Disciplinary Committee of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for exposing him to public ridicule in a widely publicized statement.

Ortom’s demand was contained in a letter written by his lawyer, C.T Mue Esq, dated February 11, 2025.

The legal representative noted that the committee issued a statement in which it claimed to have invited Ortom in connection with investigations into petitions against him.

Mue said, among others:  “We act as legal representative to Dr. Samuel Ortom, on whose behalf we write this formal demand.  Our attention has been drawn to the press release issued by the National Disciplinary Committee, NDC, of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, dated February 5, 2025, which publicly announced an inquiry into alleged petitions against our client.

“This public notice has caused reputational harm and violates fundamental principles as enshrined in Section 57 of the PDP Constitution 2017 (as amended) and Section 24 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act 2015 thus:

“Violation of Section 57(4);  Section 57(4) of the PDP constitution mandates that where an allegation is made against a member, the Disciplinary Committee must inform the member in writing about the allegations against him and the date, time, and venue of the hearing.

“Despite this clear provision, our client was neither formally notified of any allegations in writing before the press release was issued. This constitutes a gross violation of the provisions of the PDP constitution."

“Violation of Section 57(7);  Section 57(7) of the PDP constitution clearly states that no Executive Committee at any level, except the National Executive Committee, NEC, shall entertain any question of discipline relating to members of the National Executive Committee, Deputy Governors, or Members of the National Assembly.

“Our client falls under these categories. Thus, the National Disciplinary Committee lacks the jurisdiction to entertain any disciplinary action against them, making the purported inquiry procedurally defective and unconstitutional.

In a related development, Benue State chapter of the PDP has also written to the displinary committee to state that the petitioner(s) were not known party members.

Benue State chairman of PDP, Ezekiel Adaji, who signed the letter, noted that although he received copies of a bunch of letters for delivery to some members, he was unable to deliver same for want of time.

He said:  “I regret to state that I am unable to deliver the letters to the various members of the party who have been petitioned for want of sufficient time.

“Since the petition has been copied to the ‘Benue State PDP caretaker committee’ which is now the State Working Committee of the party under my leadership, although no copy of the petition has been served on me or the Benue State Working Committee, I perused the said petition and do hereby observe as follows:

“That there is no group of the PDP in Benue State known as ‘Benue PDP Youths Conscience’;  That the people who have signed the petition have not identified themselves as members of the PDP and are unknown to PDP, Benue State chapter.

We insist on Wabara’s suspension -Abia PDP

Yesterday too, Abia State chapter of the party faulted a statement credited to the National Publicity Secretary of the Party, Debo Ologunagba,  dismissing the suspension of chairman of the Board of Trustees, BoT, Senator Adolphus Wabara.

The Abia PDP stated that its stood on the suspension of the BOT chairman, since it was in line with the constitution of the party which could not be invalidated by a mere statement from the publicity secretary.

State chairman of the party, Abraham Amah, explained that the publicity secretary spoke for himself as his statement was not a product of any official resolution from the party’s national working committee.

Amah explained that according to the constitution of the PDP, Wabara’s position as chairman of the party’s BoT didn’t stop him from facing disciplinary actions whenever he runs foul of the law.

He said:  “We categorically state that the decision of the Abia State Executive Committee, SEC, to suspend Senator Adolphus Wabara met every constitutional requirement of the party and cannot be invalidated by a mere statement from the National Publicity Secretary, which is not a by-product of any official resolution of the National Working Committee, NWC.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the Abia State PDP, in taking this decision, relied on the provisions of the PDP constitution (as amended in 2017).’’

Culled from Vanguard