The Coalition of South East Youth Leaders (COSEYL) has condemned the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for continuous injustice against the South-East region. The group described the region’s political relationship with the main opposition party as a “nightmare” and urged South-East leaders to look beyond PDP ahead of the 2027 general elections.
COSEYL’s President-General, Comrade Goodluck Ibem, said the region has been repeatedly mistreated by the PDP. The latest issue arose after the PDP National Executive Committee endorsed Samuel Anyanwu as National Secretary instead of SKE Ude-Okoye, who was supported by the South-East.
The group criticized PDP for ignoring the South-East’s demands to zone the party’s 2023 presidential ticket to the region. They argued that this failure is part of a long history of neglect and betrayal dating back to the party’s 1998 convention, where late Dr. Alex Ekwueme, a founding father from the South-East, was sidelined.
COSEYL recalled the strong votes the region gave PDP over the years but said those contributions were not rewarded. They pointed out that former President Goodluck Jonathan, an Igbo man, was punished by the party when his region was denied key federal appointments and infrastructure projects during his presidency.
The group warned that the party’s ongoing troubles are “karma” for these past injustices, which led to defections of prominent leaders like Peter Obi and Dave Umahi. COSEYL concluded that the South-East has no future in the PDP and called on leaders in the zone to chart a new political direction for the region’s progress.
