PDP Officially Recognizes Sunday Ude-Okoye as National Secretary
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has officially recognized Sunday Ude-Okoye as its National Secretary, bringing an end to the controversy surrounding the position.
In an official letter addressed to the Chairman of the Anambra State chapter, Chidi Chidebe, the PDP also announced the cost for its expression of interest and nomination forms for the upcoming Anambra State governorship election. The party set the price for the expression of interest form at N5 million and the nomination form at N35 million.
The PDP revealed that the sale of nomination forms would begin on February 24 and conclude on March 5. The party’s primary election is slated for April 5, with the appeal process set to follow on April 8.
The announcement, signed by the party’s National Organizing Secretary, Umar Bature, confirmed that the National Working Committee (NWC) has approved the timetable and schedule of activities for the governorship election. The letter was also sent to key party officials, including the Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT), the Acting National Chairman, Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State, and Ude-Okoye, in his new capacity as National Secretary.
Ude-Okoye’s appointment comes after sustained pressure from PDP governors and the BoT, who had called for his swearing-in as National Secretary, in line with the Appeal Court ruling that ousted Senator Samuel Anyanwu from the position.
It’s important to note that the NWC had previously endorsed Ude-Okoye’s recognition as the party’s National Secretary. In a related development, on Tuesday, the Supreme Court denied Anyanwu’s request for a stay of execution and opted for an expedited hearing of his appeal.
This marks a significant milestone for the PDP as it prepares for the Anambra governorship election with Ude-Okoye now firmly in place at the helm of the party’s national secretariat.