The Arewa PDP support group, a political pressure group in the PPDhas threatened a peaceful protest over the party’s failure to recognize Sunday Udeh-Okoye as the new national secretary.
Yahaya Salisu, national coordinator and Desmond Minakaro, national secretary of the group, in a statement on Saturday in Abuja, said the call for recognition of Udeh-Okoye was in the interest of justice.
In October, a High Federal in Enugu State ordered the PDP to replace Senator Samuel Anyanwu as the party’s national secretary. Therefore, Mr. Udeh-Okoye was proposed as his replacement on Sunday.
Anyanwu’s replacement was due to his participation in the Imo gubernatorial election, but until now, the NWC had not obeyed the court’s order.
The group said its members from the 19 northern states and the FCT have resolved to ensure that the court order was obeyed or its members would protest.
“We hereby issue a five-day ultimatum to the NWC to obey the court order and inaugurate Udoh-Okoye on Sunday please in the interest of the party or we may be forced to occupy Wadata Plaza until the right thing is done.” . he said.
The statement quoted the group’s coordinator, Mr. Salisu, urging the acting National Chairman of the PDP, Umar Damagum, to, in the interest of justice, obey the existing court order and convene a meeting of the NWC and swear in Mr. Udeh-Okoye.
Salisu said the party was not for a few individuals but for every registered member, so its integrity must be protected.
“Damagun is a peace-loving democrat and beneficiary of a court order that sacked former National President, Senator Ayu, leading to his current position.
“For the benefit of the doubt, if the public can recall, sometime in October 2021, this same group, the Arewa PDP support group, stood firm in support of a decision that led to the dismissal of the former National Chairman Uche Secondus.
“We also went further and sought support for Senator Samuel Anyanwu himself, believing that he was the most favored in the South East zone, which led to him being elected National Secretary.
It was this position that he held until he voluntarily decided to join the Imo 2023 governorship race.
“Naturally, he cannot act as a gubernatorial candidate and at the same time as the National Secretary of our great party, as confirmed and ordered by the High Court.
“It was a court decision that paved the way for a convention from which he benefited,” Salisu said.
The group noted that democracy is about the people and that any decision must be in their favor.
“We will always be on the side of truth in the general interest of our party. A few people should not be allowed to take over this party.
“It is very disheartening that despite the election of the PDP South East zonal Executive Committee who is assigned the post of National Secretary to replace former National Secretary, Anyanwu, the party is yet to do the needful.
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“Anyanwu is the party’s gubernatorial candidate in today’s (Saturday) governorship election in Imo,” the statement said.
“Today, that similar court has asked him to resign. Therefore, the NWC should spare us further embarrassment and obey that order by recognizing Sunday Udeh-Okoye as the National Secretary of the party.”
(YAYA)
