An Enugu State High Court has granted an order in a motion on notice filed by Nwabueze Ugwu, seeking to declare the office of the National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) vacant.

The court issued an interim order compelling the defendants in the suit, PDP National Chairman, National Secretary and Deputy National Chairman Southeast to recognise Sunday Udeh-Okoye as candidate recommended by the Southeast Zonal Executive Committee to replace Samuel Anyanwu, who is the governorship candidate of the party in the November 11 election in Imo State, pending the determination of the motion on notice.

The presiding judge, Justice C.O. Ajah, disclosed that the motion on notice, sought by the plaintiff, was brought under order 38 rule 1, order 39 rule 1 of High Court rules of Enugu State 2020, supported by 23 paragraphs affidavit deposed to by the applicant.

The court, however, adjourned the hearing to October 30, 2023, for continuation of the motion on notice. Meanwhile, the Zonal Publicity Secretary of the party, Augustine Okeke, yesterday, notified the public that the party had received the order of court, “mandating the recognition of Udeh-Okoye as the National Secretary of the party as recommended by the Southeast Executive Committee.”

The PDP Southeast Zone had, last weekend, unanimously nominated Udeh-Okoye, the former PDP National Youth Leader, as the new national secretary.
The National Vice Chairman of the party, Southeast, Ali Odefa, had explained that the decision was to allow Anyanwu to concentrate on his election campaign in the state.

Odefa said: “The position of the national secretary will be a distraction to his campaign and victory at the polls. 

“Therefore, the Southeast zone, having met and brainstormed, came up with a nomination from Enugu State in the person of Udeh-Okoye to replace Anyanwu as the national secretary of the PDP.”