Governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have proposed that the party’s Deputy National Secretary should temporarily assume the role of National Secretary until a substantive appointment is made from the South East Zone.
The recommendation was part of the resolutions reached during an emergency meeting of PDP governors held in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Monday.
The move is was said to had aimed at resolving the lingering leadership crisis surrounding the position of the National Secretary, which has.seen Senator Samuel Anyanwu and Hon. Sunday Udeh-Okoye locked in a bitter dispute.
The meeting, hosted by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and presided over by the PDP’s Acting National Chairman, Ambassador Iliya Damagum, was attended by PDP governors, members of the National Working Committee (NWC), the Board of Trustees (BoT), and other key stakeholders.
Sources revealed that the dispute over the National Secretary position has created divisions within the party, with fears that the crisis could jeopardise the PDP’s participation in the upcoming Anambra State governorship election scheduled for November.
To prevent further escalation, the PDP governors recommended that the Deputy National Secretary step in temporarily while efforts are made to appoint a substantive National Secretary from the South East, in line with the party’s zoning arrangement.
“The Forum resolved that the PDP will not join any coalition or merger. However, the PDP as a major opposition party welcomes any party, persons or groups that are willing to join it with a view to wrestling power and enthroning good leadership in 2027,” Gov Bala Mohammed said.
“The Forum resolves that working in conjunction with the National Working Committee (NWC) and other relevant organs of the party, to hold a NEC Meeting on the 27th of May, 2025; constitute a Zoning Committee that will address all issues relating to zoning of party offices and hold an early convention in August 2025, precisely on the 28th, 29th and 30th in the ancient city of Kano,” he added.
