THE Supreme Court has asked the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to determine if its embattled secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, would remain its National Secretary of not.
The court, in a unanimous judgment on Friday, March 21, said matters touching on the leadership or membership of a political party were issues belonging to its internal affairs and should not be the business of a court.
However, the court set aside the decision of the Appeal Court, Enugu Division, which on 20 December 2024 affirmed Anyanwu’s removal by a Federal High Court in Enugu.
The apex court held the Federal High Court lacked jurisdiction to have heard the matter initiated by Aniagwu Emmanuel.
The ICIR reported that there was chaos at the PDP headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday, January 29, as the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) met to address some issues within the party.
The meeting, presided over by acting national chairman, Umar Damagum, was attended by prominent party members, including national secretary, Anyanwu, Ben Obi, a former senator, former youth leader Sunday Ude-Okoye, and BoT chairman Adolphus Wabara.
However, tension soon enveloped the gathering as a crisis broke out between Anyanwu and Ude-Okoye, both contending for the party’s national secretary.
Trouble began when Ude-Okoye, who had arrived earlier, was asked to leave following the arrival of Anyanwu and Damagum. Ude-Okoye declined, resulting in chaos.
Background to crisis
In 2023, the party’s South-East zone nominated Sunday Ude-Okoye to replace Anyanwu, who was selected as the party’s candidate for the Imo State governorship election.
The zone argued that Anyanwu’s candidacy necessitated his resignation as national secretary. The matter has been the subject of litigation, with a High Court and an Appeal Court in Enugu ruling in favour of Ude-Okoye as the legitimate national secretary.
However, a subsequent ruling by the Court of Appeal in Abuja introduced a new twist, issuing a restraining order that directed Anyanwu to remain in office pending the outcome of litigation over the matter at the Supreme Court.
The ICIR reports that the crisis highlights the ongoing power struggles within the party.
Trouble within the PDP began months before the 2023 general election. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the incumbent minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, were the leading party members seeking to pick the party’s ticket for the presidential election held in February 2023.
Abubakar eventually picked the ticket while Wike and his block refused to support the former vice president’s candidacy.
Wike eventually became a prominent member of President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet and has since insisted that he is a member of the PDP.
Many party stalwarts, including Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, have been angered by the minister’s stance.
Multiple reports have also linked Wike’s presence in Tinubu’s government to some of the crises in the PDP.
NOTE: This report has been reviewed to include that the Supreme Court did not re-instate Anyanwu as PDP’s national secretary.
A reporter with the ICIR
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