PDP chieftains fight at party’s BoT meeting in Abuja

There was pandemonium at the headquarters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja on Wednesday, January 29, 2025, following a fight during the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) meeting.

The fight began after a PDP chieftain, Sunday Ude-Okoye, was denied access to the meeting.

Ude-Okoye attempted to force his way in but was blocked by the party’s protocol officer, Emmanuel Okoronkwo, and others.

His supporters then scaled the fence into the secretariat premises, overpowering Okoronkwo and others who had blocked Ude-Okoye from entering the meeting hall.

Security has since been beefed up at the PDP headquarters, with police and military vans patrolling the area to maintain order.

The PDP has been embroiled in a leadership crisis as Ude-Okoye and Samuel Anyanwu are laying claim to the position of the party’s national secretary.

PDP apologises, explains assault on journalist at national secretariat

The Court of Appeal, in December 2024, ruled that Ude-Okoye should replace Anyanwu as the PDP national secretary.

The south-east zonal executive committee of the party nominated Udeh-Okoye to replace Anyanwu after he became the PDP gubernatorial candidate in Imo State in 2023.

Anyanwu had obtained several court injunctions preventing his removal from office.

However, in a verdict delivered on December 20, 2024, Justice Ridwan Abdullahi of the Appeal Court dismissed the judgement of the High Court which prevented Anyanwu’s removal for “lacking in merit”.

Ude-Okoye has been parading himself as the national secretary of the party after the judgement.

Anyanwu, however, said he appealed the judgement and also filed for a stay of execution at the Supreme Court.

The Star