The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has, again, shifted its National Executive Committee (NEC); this time, by two months.
The meeting, originally rescheduled to hold on Wednesday, March 13, has been postponed till May 15, 2025.
In a statement on Saturday by Sunday Okoye, who signed as National Secretary, the party said the shift in date was necessitated by a need for further consultations.
Okoye added that the postponement would also allow the party enough time to conclude outstanding congresses at various levels of the party.
The shift is coming as the Supreme Court begins hearing in an appeal filed by the party’s ousted National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu.
Anyanwu is challenging the verdict of the Court of Appeal, Enugu Division which affirmed a previous ruling of an Enugu High Court which sacked him as National Secretary and recognised Sunday Udeh-Okoye instead.
The statement, which was silent about the case before the apex court, explained that the decision to shift the NEC date followed deliberations among key stakeholders.
It listed the Board of Trustees (BoT), the PDP Governors’ Forum, the National Caucus and Assembly Assembly Caucus as being privy to the decision.
“Following emerging issues, including the need to conclude our pending Zonal, State, L.G.A, and Ward Congresses as well as to allow for further consultation to ensure a hitch-free conduct of the meeting, the NWC after due consultation with leaders, stakeholders, and relevant organs of the party has decided to shift the NEC meeting to Thursday, May 15, 2025”, said the statement.
The PDP assured its NEC members that the shift was in the best interest of the party and aimed at fostering unity and effective decision-making.
“The NWC sincerely regrets any inconveniences this change of date will cause distinguished members of NEC,” the statement added.
Apparently miffed by the endless shifts in dates of the NEC meeting, the PDP Governors Forum had, in November 2024, directed the party’s leadership to convene the NEC meeting on March 13.
Credible party sources told The Whistler on Sunday, that the NEC meeting was postponed owing to the growing uncertainties over the outcome of the appeal pending before the Supreme Court.
The apex court begins hearing in the appeal on Monday, March 10, 2025.
The apex court is expected to deliver its judgment in the next few days, on who should be the PDP National Secretary between Samuel Anyanwu and Udeh-Okoye.
The crisis over the position of National Secretary appears to have thrown the PDP in a quandry.
For instance, no aspirant has shown interest in purchasing PDP nomination forms for the Anambra State governorship election.
Apparently, this may be due to fears of potential disqualification should the Supreme Court eventually rule against whoever signed their documents as National Secretary; between Anyanwu and Udeh-Okoye.
At that point, it would be too late for such aspirants to catch up with deadlines set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) if the losing party was the one that signed their documents.
