The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accepted Honourable Sunday Udeh-Okoye as its National Secretary, replacing Senator Samuel Anyanwu, who still lays claim to the position.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Debo Ologunagba, explained that the decision was compelled by clear affirmations in two court orders from both the High Court and the Federal Court of Appeal.
Addressing journalists at the PDP National Secretariat in Abuja, Ologunagba also commented on the recent assault on The Sun newspaper correspondent, Mr. Ndubuisi Orji, by a PDP staff member, Mr. Emmanuel Okoronkwo.
He described the incident as unfortunate but emphasized that it does not reflect the party’s commitment to lawfulness and democratic principles.
“The PDP firmly believes in abiding by the law and upholding democratic tenets,” Ologunagba stated.
“There were two court orders and on December 24, 2023, after consultation with the PDP National Legal Adviser, it was confirmed that we have received the judgment on the appeal affirming Hon S. K. Udeh-Okoye, as the National Secretary of the party; we are a rule of law compliant party, we believe in this finality of the judicial process.
“We have always respected judicial pronouncement and we will always abide by that culture; the position of the party has not changed to that; in consistence with our position in the past as rule of law compliant party, we are obeying the order of court; we will follow the processes and ensure full compliance with the pronouncement of the Court of Appeal.
“We have received the judgment of the Court of Appeal that affirmed, Right Honorable S. K. E. Udeokoye, as National Secretary of PDP as as a party, we are bound by that judgment because it’s the judgment from the highest court to date,” the PDP national spokesman explained.
Pointing out that ‘there is a criminal dimension’ to a PDP staff, Mr. Emmanuel Okoronkwo’s physical assault on The Sun newspaper’s reporter, Mr, Ndubuisi Orji who only came into Wadata Plaza to ask whether there was any party activity going on, Ologunagba described the action as unauthorized and inconsistent with the party’s values.
“We dissociate ourselves from this activity because he acted alone from our preliminary investigation; we are going to go through an established procedure within the system to understand, and we will come out with our findings.
“That said, Emmanuel Okoronkwo who is a staff of this party had no business at all with security apparatus of the party and the worst was his being here at that time, particularly since we were on vacation; he had no business being here.
“If he got instruction from anywhere, whoever he claims it to be, then he would take responsibility for those actions; we are saying that he acted alone but if he says he was acting on instruction, that would be his own issue to deal with; this party did not give (such) instruction to him, he had no business being here.
“If he was here and found to have committed a crime, then he should bear the consequences either personally or with whoever might have sent him, if indeed he was sent,” Ologunagba added.
“If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each man’s life, sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility.”
