Pro-Anyanwu PDP official ‘blocks’ Udeh-Okoye from NWC meeting

Emmanuel Okoronkwo, an official of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), reportedly blocked the gate of the party’s secretariat on Wednesday to prevent Sunday Udeh-Okoye from attending the national working committee (NWC) meeting.

In viral videos, security operatives were seen attempting to restore order at the party’s headquarters following the chaos that erupted.

Okoronkwo, a loyalist of Samuel Anyanwu, the ousted national secretary of the PDP, allegedly mobilised “hired hands” who joined him to barricade the secretariat gate to prevent Udeh-Okoye from gaining access to the premises.

The official was eventually arrested and escorted away from the secretariat by security operatives.

BACKGROUND

The crisis in PDP took a new twist in recent months with Anyanwu and Udeh-Okoye laying claim to the position of national secretary.

In December 2024, the court of appeal ruled that Udeh-Okoye should replace Anyanwu as 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, Ridwan Abdullahi, the appeal court judge, dismissed the judgement of the high court, which prevented Anyanwu’s removal, for “lacking in merit”.

But Anyanwu said he appealed the judgment and also filed for a stay of execution at the supreme court on the same day the appeal court delivered the verdict in favour of Udeh-Okoye.

On January 31, governors elected on the PDP platform recognised Udeh-Okoye as the national secretary of the party.

About a week later, the party’s board of trustees (BoT) aligned with the governors.

In February, the PDP NWC affirmed Udeh-Okoye as the party’s national secretary.

In January, a scuffle erupted at the PDP secretariat during the party’s board of trustees (BoT) meeting when Okoronkwo attempted to prevent Udeh-Okoye from attending.