Udeh-Okoye Resigns from PDP, Says Party Has Lost Its Founding Values

Former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Secretary Rt. Hon. S.K.E. Udeh-Okoye has resigned from the party, citing a loss of moral direction and a departure from its founding principles. In a resignation letter dated October 13, 2025, addressed to the PDP Ward Chairman in Agbogugu, Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State, Udeh-Okoye said his decision followed “deep reflection and careful consideration,” lamenting that the PDP had “strayed far from the ideals of its founding fathers.”

Udeh-Okoye, who previously served as the party’s National Youth Leader and as a member of the Enugu State House of Assembly, described the PDP as a party that “once symbolized hope for democratic governance” but has now “lost its ideological direction.” He added that he would embark on “a progressive journey dedicated to restoring the values of democracy, accountability, and service to the people, which the party has sadly abandoned.”

His resignation comes amid ongoing divisions within the PDP over leadership legitimacy, particularly following the controversial reinstatement of Senator Samuel Anyanwu as National Secretary and tensions arising from the party’s 100th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting. Earlier in January, Udeh-Okoye had been recognized by the PDP leadership as the substantive National Secretary following a Court of Appeal judgment, a decision Anyanwu has contested by appealing to the Supreme Court and seeking a stay of execution.

In March 2025, the Supreme Court overturned a previous Court of Appeal ruling affirming Anyanwu’s removal, declaring that leadership disputes within political parties are internal matters not subject to judicial intervention. Both Anyanwu and Udeh-Okoye subsequently claimed victory, leaving the leadership question unresolved. In April 2025, PDP governors recommended that the Deputy National Secretary temporarily assume the role until a permanent appointment was made from the South East Zone. Despite this, Anyanwu resumed office at the PDP Secretariat in Abuja in October 2025.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, downplayed the crisis, noting that Anyanwu’s current responsibilities are limited to administrative duties such as diesel supply and parking space allocation.