PDP governors throw support behind Ude-Okoye, demand NEC on March 13

Makinde and other governors who used to support Wike are now working with other governors to reduce Wike’s power over the party’s leadership. This became clear when the PDP Governors Forum turned against Senator Samuel Anyanwu (Wike’s ally) and instead backed Sunday Ude-Okoye for a key party position.

According to The Punch, on Friday, the PDP governors officially recognised Ude-Okoye as the party’s National Secretary, following an Appeal Court ruling in Enugu. At a meeting in Asaba, Delta State, the governors led by Bala Mohammed rejected Anyanwu and confirmed Ude-Okoye’s position.

In their official statement signed by Bala, the governors also told the party’s acting chairman, Umar Damagum, and his team to hold an important party meeting by March 13.

The PDP has been dealing with internal problems since before the 2023 elections. Damagum, who took over as acting chairman, has faced criticism from party members who blame him for the party’s problems. He replaced Iyorchia Ayu, who was removed by the court for not making needed changes in the party.

Things got worse when people couldn’t agree on who should be National Secretary. In 2023, PDP leaders from the South East said Anyanwu should step down as National Secretary because he was running for governor in Imo State. On December 20, 2024, an Appeal Court in Enugu chose Ude-Okoye as the new secretary. But on January 27, 2025, another Appeal Court in Abuja said Anyanwu should stay until the Supreme Court makes a final decision.

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The situation turned ugly on Thursday during a party meeting when Anyanwu’s supporters physically removed Ude-Okoye from the room. Security had to step in to calm things down.

The governors’ official statement partly read: “The Forum noted with delight the ongoing efforts at resolving the crisis in the National Working Committee on the position of the National Secretary, and has reaffirmed its support for the Court of Appeal judgment; consequently, the forum advised the NWC to set up the machinery for the effective implementation of the court judgment.”

The Punch cited an insider explaining why this happened: the PDP leaders were tired of Wike’s control over the party, so they united against his ally and backed Ude-Okoye instead. “Among the former G5, after Wike, the next most influential governor within PDP and beyond is Makinde. Since other governors completed their tenures, Makinde has been the one supporting the camp in achieving its goals,” the source said.

The source added that relationships soured after the removal of one of Makinde’s allies from a party position. Now, governors like Bala Mohammed, Sim Fubara, and Makinde want to take charge themselves instead of letting Wike run things. The governors carefully planned their move at the Asaba meeting, leaving both Ude-Okoye and Anyanwu out of it while they made their decision.

“This is a major setback for Wike, losing the secretary position and even the support of some governors. Events of the next few days will reveal more,” the source concluded.

On national issues, the PDP governors criticized the Federal Government’s economic policies, saying they’ve caused great hardship for Nigerians. They urged the government to change these policies to help reduce people’s suffering.