PDP Southeast Caucus Gives Saraki’s Reconciliation Panel Conditions To Stop Defections

The Southeast caucus of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has reportedly insisted that the National Youth Leader, Sunday Ude-Okoye, must be retained as the party’s National Secretary.

Naijaonpoint reports that the demand was part of the conditions given to the former Senate President, Bukola Saraki-led reconciliation panel, to stop the defections of its leaders and members from the party.

The truce occurred during the closed-door meeting between the Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, and the Saraki panel on Friday at the Enugu State Government House.

The meeting was part of efforts to stem the tide of defections rocking the party, especially from the South-South and Southeast.

Recall that the Southeast PDP leaders had on May 14 issued a communique in which they threatened to exit the party if Udeh-Okoye was not retained as National Secretary.

However, a source who spoke with Punch in an interview said the caucus opined that the party would lose its grip on the Southeast if the leadership failed to address the concerns of stakeholders from the zone.

Governor Mbah reportedly lamented that the zone, which had been a strong pillar of support for the party for years, had not been treated fairly in party affairs.

The source said, “The governor told the panel that, as a condition to sustain the dominance of the party in the region, the PDP must retain Ude-Okoye as the party’s National Secretary instead of Senator Samuel Anyanwu.

“He lamented that the zone had not been given due recognition in party affairs. The governor reminded the panel that the Southeast, led by the then Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, stood firm and brought back PDP on a strong footing when the party had a crisis in 2015. The governor told the panel that the PDP leadership must give the Southeast a prominent role in the party.”