The Supreme Court has ruled in favour of Senator Samuel Anyanwu, affirming his position as the legitimate National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The apex court overturned the December 20, 2024, judgment of the Court of Appeal in Enugu, which had upheld an earlier High Court decision that removed Anyanwu and recognized Sunday Udey-Okoye as his replacement.
Unhappy with the appellate court’s ruling, Anyanwu escalated the matter to the Supreme Court, arguing that the case was outside the jurisdiction of both the High Court and the Court of Appeal.
He maintained that leadership disputes within a political party are internal matters that should not be subject to judicial intervention.
Anyanwu also criticized the lower court for not determining whether the plaintiff had first exhausted the PDP’s internal dispute resolution procedures before filing the case.
He further questioned the decision to grant the plaintiff the legal standing to challenge his role, stressing that such matters are crucial in establishing a court’s authority to hear a case.
Additionally, he opposed the lower court’s interpretation of Section 84(12) of the Electoral Act 2022, asserting that he had neither resigned nor been removed from his position.
He insisted that the PDP constitution explicitly outlines how executive offices are vacated and argued that the courts had no legal grounds to declare his position vacant.
Anyanwu cited Article 47 of the PDP constitution, which stipulates a four-year tenure for party officials, reinforcing his claim that his removal was unlawful.
It is worth noting that Udey-Okoye had gained the support of the PDP’s National Working Committee, Board of Trustees, and Governors’ Forum.
