The Supreme Court has nullified the judgements of the Court of Appeal and Federal High Court which sacked Samuel Anyanwu as the National Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
A five-member panel of the apex court held that the issue of who is the National Secretary of the PDP borders on the internal affairs of a political party which is not justiciable.
Justice Jamilu Tukur, who delivered the lead judgment of the Supreme Court, consequently struck out the judgement of the trial court delivered in October 2024 and also set aside the majority judgement of the court of appeal which had in December affirmed the sack of Anyanwu as PDP’s National Secretary.
Justice Tukur subsequently affirmed the minority judgement of the appellate court delivered by Justice Ekanem which had nullified the judgement of the trial court on account of lack of jurisdiction.
Besides, the apex court held that the plaintiff, Aniagu Emmanuel, who initiated the suit at the trial court lacked the necessary legal backing to do so since he did not show how he was affected by who is the National Secretary of the PDP.
The PDP National Working Committee, Board of Trustees, PDP Governors’ Forum, and the South East Zonal Executive Committee had at various times affirmed Udeh-Okoye as the National Secretary of the party.
Last month, the Tom Ikimi-led disciplinary committee of the party recommended Anyanwu’s expulsion from the PDP. It said Anyanwu failed to appear before the committee to defend himself against a petition by the PDP Young Generation caucus.
The petitioner had accused Anyanwu of engaging in anti-party activities contrary to the provisions of Article 58 (1)(f) of the PDP Constitution.
It accused Senator Anyanwu of engaging in conduct likely to disrupt the peaceful, lawful, and efficient conduct of the party’s business contrary to provisions of Article 58 (1)(h) of the PDP Constitution 2017.
