Former National Secretary aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sunday Udeh-Okoye, has blamed the party’s leadership for the mass defections emerging from the South East, citing marginalisation and systemic disrespect as the core reasons for his exit and that of other prominent political figures.
Speaking during an appearance on ARISE News on Wednesday, Udeh-Okoye, who officially joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) a day after resigning from the PDP, said the South East had been “humiliated” and sidelined, despite years of loyalty to the party.
“My resignation cannot pave the way for the governor. It’s my personal decision.
“The PDP has been very unfair to the South East. Every request from the zone was ignored, and our leaders were disregarded,” he said.
According to him, repeated appeals from key figures including BOT members, former governors like Sam Egwu, and former ministers such as Josephine Anenih, fell on deaf ears.
Udeh-Okoye claimed some party leaders even told the South East bluntly, “If you want to go, go.”
Now in the APC, Udeh-Okoye described his new political home as “a progressive party that knows how to manage its members.”
He added that with the defection of Governor Peter Mbah, the political tide in Enugu State was shifting.
“The same way PDP once dominated Enugu is how APC will begin to win from now,” he said.
On rumours that the defections were coordinated, he clarified,
“everyone has their own membership card.
”Nobody can resign for another person. I left because of the humiliation meted out to our zone.”
Udeh-Okoye also addressed the controversy surrounding the PDP National Secretary position, arguing that it had been unjustly retained by Samuel Anyanwu even after he contested the Imo governorship.
“That position was zoned to the South East, not to an individual. When Anyanwu declared for governorship, he should have resigned.
”The zone met in Enugu and unanimously nominated me to replace him. The party should have honoured that decision, ” he said.
He described his departure from the PDP as painful, given his decades-long involvement and loyalty, but said the party’s attitude made it untenable to stay.
“When I was in the PDP, every leadership level around me from councillor to senator was PDP. I stayed loyal. But they turned against us. We had no choice but to review our relationship, ” he added.
Udeh-Okoye defended his new party, expressing strong confidence in the APC’s internal cohesion and leadership in Enugu.
According to him, APC in Enugu is intact and peaceful. Governor Mbah is the leader. We’re united and moving forward. By 11 a.m. on election day, the results will speak for themselves.
He dismissed claims of internal friction in the APC following the recent defections, labelling such concerns as the product of “loose cannons with no influence.”
Looking ahead to the 2027 general elections, Udeh-Okoye predicted a clean sweep for the APC in Enugu, saying, “by 2027, all 24 House of Assembly seats, eight House of Representatives seats, and three Senate seats in Enugu State will belong to the APC.”
Responding to criticism that the APC remained unpopular in the South East, particularly on social media, he insisted that digital perception does not reflect electoral reality.
“Social media is not where elections are won. We know the polling booths and the people. If you come to Enugu, I’ll take you around and show you.
“Enugu is calm, united, and moving forward with the APC. By 2027, the results will prove that,” he affirmed.
