The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors Forum has thrown its weight behind Sunday Udeh-Okoye as the party’s National Secretary, despite the ongoing legal battle over the position.

The decision was reached during the governors’ first monthly meeting of 2025, held on Friday in Asaba, Delta State.

The contest over who rightfully holds the position of PDP National Secretary has been a source of tension within the party, with Samuel Anyanwu and former National Youth Leader Sunday Udeh-Okoye both laying claim to the role.

The matter remains unresolved in the courts, including Nigeria’s Supreme Court.

The Court of Appeal in Enugu had ruled in December 2024 that Udeh-Okoye should be recognized as the party’s National Secretary, upholding an earlier High Court judgment.

However, Anyanwu has continued to challenge this ruling.

In a communique issued at the end of their meeting, the PDP governors reaffirmed their commitment to the Court of Appeal’s ruling, declaring Udeh-Okoye as the legitimate National Secretary of the party.

“In the quoted paragraph 3 of the Communique, the Forum advised the NWC to set up a machinery for the implementation of the Enugu Court of Appeal judgement, which favoured the nomination of SKD Ude Okoye as the National Secretary of the Party.”

They urged the PDP’s National Working Committee (NWC) to execute the judgment accordingly. Additionally, the governors recommended rescheduling the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting to March 13, 2025, instead of its originally planned February date.

Present at the meeting were Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, who also serves as the Forum’s Chairperson, alongside Governors Siminalayi Fubara (Rivers), Peter Mbah (Enugu), Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), and Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom). Other attendees included Governors Douye Diri (Bayelsa), Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri (Adamawa), Ademola Adeleke (Osun), Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau), Agbu Kefas (Taraba), Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), and Oyo State’s Deputy Governor, Bayo Lawal.

During the meeting, the PDP Governors Forum also addressed Nigeria’s economic difficulties, urging President Bola Tinubu’s administration to revise its policies to alleviate widespread hardship.

“The Forum calls on the federal government to either revisit or rejig its macroeconomic policies to ameliorate and stop the hardship and pains that they have inflicted on Nigerians as no meaningful or impactful achievements in the states will be achieved until the harsh policies are addressed,” Governor Bala Mohammed stated.

He reassured Nigerians that the PDP would work towards fixing the economy once back in power.

Additionally, the governors raised concerns about the growing influence of non-state actors, calling on the federal government to strengthen Nigeria’s security framework.

The dispute over the position of PDP National Secretary began after Samuel Anyanwu stepped aside to contest the Imo State governorship election on November 11, 2023.

Despite losing to incumbent Governor Hope Uzodinma of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Anyanwu did not submit a formal resignation from his position as PDP National Secretary.

Meanwhile, in October 2023, PDP leaders in the South-East nominated Udeh-Okoye to replace Anyanwu.

A High Court in Enugu later ruled in favor of Udeh-Okoye, instructing the PDP to recognize him as National Secretary.

However, the PDP’s National Working Committee (NWC) challenged the ruling, arguing that the decision was obtained through fraudulent means and lacked clarity on Udeh-Okoye’s exact position.

In January 2024, a Federal High Court in Abuja ruled in Anyanwu’s favor, affirming him as the rightful PDP National Secretary.

The court also restrained the party’s leadership from appointing a replacement until Anyanwu’s four-year tenure ended in December 2025.

In December 2024, the Court of Appeal in Enugu upheld the High Court ruling that Udeh-Okoye should be recognized as National Secretary.

The appellate court ruled that Anyanwu’s claim to the position was invalid, as his gubernatorial candidacy had effectively vacated the role.

“The judge, Inyang Ekwo, also restrained the national leadership of the PDP from appointing any person as its acting national secretary until the expiration of Mr Anyanwu’s four-year tenure on 9 December 2025, as enshrined in the party’s constitution.”

Despite the ruling, Anyanwu refused to step down and appealed the case to the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, Udeh-Okoye assumed office on December 30, 2024, citing the appellate court’s decision.

However, in January 2025, the Court of Appeal in Abuja intervened, ordering both parties to maintain the status quo until the Supreme Court issues a final ruling.

Both claimants have interpreted the status quo directive differently:

• Udeh-Okoye argues that the ruling means he should continue in office as National Secretary since the Court of Appeal had already ruled in his favor.
• Anyanwu contends that the order effectively puts a hold on the implementation of the Court of Appeal’s judgment, thereby allowing him to retain his position until the Supreme Court delivers its verdict.

The dispute has also led to a division within the PDP leadership.

National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba has publicly recognized Udeh-Okoye as the legitimate National Secretary, citing the Court of Appeal ruling.

However, his deputy, Ibrahim Abdullahi, has countered this, insisting that Anyanwu remains the rightful officeholder based on the Federal High Court ruling in Abuja.

Last week, PDP leaders from the South-East reaffirmed their support for Udeh-Okoye, adding further weight to his claim to the position.

As the legal battle continues, the Supreme Court’s final verdict will be crucial in determining the party’s leadership structure moving forward.

The Kano State Government has earmarked N2.5 billion for a mass wedding program in its 2025 budget, covering all 44 local government areas of the state.

This initiative is part of the N91.32 billion allocated to governance and service delivery.

The program aims to support widows, widowers, divorcees, and unmarried individuals facing financial constraints in getting married.

While the exact number of beneficiaries for 2025 has not been disclosed, the government previously spent N845 million on the weddings of 1,800 couples in 2024.

Providing a breakdown of the 2025 budget, Commissioner for Planning and Budget, Musa Sulaiman Shanono, announced that N1 billion has also been set aside for the Ramadan feeding program.

Additionally, over N267 million will be spent on printing the Islamic calendar and supporting Da’awah activities.

Under the governance and service delivery sector, the government has allocated N589 million for security research, empowerment programs, and initiatives targeting street beggars.

The budget also includes N100 million for the rehabilitation of existing toll gates, though it remains unclear if the government plans to reopen them.

For security, law, and justice, the state has set aside N19.5 billion for various projects.

This includes N500 million for installing CCTV cameras at High Courts and Magistrate Courts, N875 million for rehabilitating magistrate offices, and N210 million for furnishing Shari’a courts.

In the health sector, the government has allocated N2.3 billion for the construction of new intensive care units at Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospital and Muhammad Abdullahi Wase Teaching Hospital.

Other provisions include N500 million for non-communicable disease control, N2.4 billion for implementing a minimal service package investment plan, and N1 billion for a basic healthcare provision fund.

Obono Obla, a former senior adviser to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari on Prosecutions and former Chairman of the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for Recovery of Public Property (SPIP), has proposed the death penalty as a solution to combat corruption in Nigeria.

Obla made this call during his keynote address at the 16th Ralph Opara Memorial Lecture in Calabar, organized by the National Association of Seadogs (NAS).

The lecture, titled “Sink or Swim? Nigeria’s Future and the Impact of Corruption on the Socio-Political Economy of Nigeria,” highlighted the detrimental effects of corruption on the nation’s progress.

Obla suggested that implementing the death penalty for certain types of corruption and financial crimes could deter corrupt practices, which have long plagued Nigerian society.

He emphasized that such a severe penalty would send a strong message to those involved in corrupt activities, curbing their influence on the nation’s socio-economic development.

He expressed concern over the contradictions in Nigeria, where some individuals work tirelessly to protect the country’s interests, while others exploit the system through corruption.

Obla argued that a systematic reform of Nigeria’s institutions is necessary, along with fostering a culture of transparency and accountability.

The former presidential adviser further emphasized the need for a broad cultural and attitudinal shift to tackle the root causes of corruption in the country.

He called for collaboration between NGOs, civil society groups, and the government to build a society that values integrity and ethical conduct.

Dr. Joseph Oteri, head of NAS, also spoke at the event, noting that the lecture series serves to honor Ralph Opara, a prominent Nigerian broadcaster and one of the founding members of NAS at the University of Ibadan in 1952/53.

Oteri expressed the hope that the lecture series would provide a platform for discussing key issues that could shape Nigeria’s future and contribute to its development.