The staff and management of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Secretariat have declared unwavering support for the appointment of Arch. Setonji Koshoedo as Acting National Secretary, described the move as the most practical step towards restoring internal order.
In a strongly worded statement issued in Abuja, the secretariat staff raised concerns over the prolonged leadership impasse that has gripped the party, particularly surrounding the office of the National Secretary. They warned that the dispute, which has persisted for over a year, continues to undermine internal coherence, party operations, and public perception.
The dispute traces back to April 2023, when Senator Samuel Anyanwu, then serving as National Secretary, secured the PDP’s gubernatorial ticket for the Imo State election held on November 11, 2023. His nomination was viewed by many within the party as an automatic resignation from his secretarial role. Acting on this assumption, the South East Zonal Chapter forwarded Hon. S.K.E Udeh-Okoye’s name as a replacement — a decision that triggered legal battles and factional disagreements.
A High Court ruling in Enugu on December 22, 2023, upheld Udeh-Okoye’s appointment, a verdict later reinforced by the Court of Appeal on December 20, 2024. Following these judgments, key party organs — including the Board of Trustees (BoT), National Working Committee (NWC), South East Zonal Caucus, and the PDP Governors’ Forum — all recognized Udeh-Okoye as the National Secretary.
Displeased, Anyanwu escalated the matter to the Supreme Court, which ruled on March 21, 2025, that leadership issues such as the one in question fall strictly within the party’s internal jurisdiction. This ruling has since been interpreted differently by both camps, further fueling division.
In response, the NWC released a statement the same day reaffirming that Udeh-Okoye’s appointment followed proper party procedures and internal endorsement mechanisms. Nonetheless, in a bid to calm tensions and chart a neutral course forward, the PDP Governors’ Forum met on April 14, 2025, in Ibadan and recommended that the Deputy National Secretary, Arch. Setonji Koshoedo, serve in an acting capacity pending the nomination and ratification of a substantive replacement by the National Executive Committee (NEC).
The NWC, at its 600th meeting on April 29, 2025, adopted this recommendation, directing Koshoedo to step in as Acting National Secretary in line with Sections 36(2) and 29(2)(b) of the party’s Constitution.
The secretariat staff, in their statement, expressed full alignment with this decision, pledging to cooperate fully with Koshoedo in his new role. They emphasized the importance of returning to internal stability and ensuring that the party’s administrative machinery is not further disrupted.
They also dismissed claims questioning Koshoedo’s legitimacy, noting that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has formally acknowledged his position and continues to process party correspondences bearing his signature.
While acknowledging Senator Anyanwu’s contributions to the PDP — from his early days as Local Government Chairman to his service as Senator and National Secretary — the staff urged him to place party unity above personal interest. They called on the party’s Acting National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Iliya Damagum, to ensure that the upcoming NEC meeting slated for May 27, 2025, holds as planned to address critical issues and reaffirm the party’s guiding principles.
“We believe that the NWC’s directive that Arch Setonji Koshoedo acts as National Secretary is in the overall interest of the stability of our party being the best step at the moment to restore the confidence of members of the party and preserve the integrity of our internal processes given the sensitive nature of the office of the National Secretary in the operation of a political party.
“Moreover, we are aware that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has received and acknowledged Arch Setonji Koshoedo as the Acting National Secretary of the PDP.
“As Staff of the PDP, we fully recognize and appreciate the roles and contributions Senator Anyanwu has played and made for the growth and success of the party especially issues regarding staff welfare but at this moment we strongly believe that there is no sacrifice too high for any individual to make for the overall interest of our party,” the statement read.
The statement was endorsed by all staff of the PDP National Secretariat.
