In a dramatic turn of events, the Supreme Court has restored Senator Samuel Anyanwu as the National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), overturning previous rulings that had removed him from office.
Delivering a unanimous decision on Friday, a five-member panel of the apex court dismissed the judgments of the Federal High Court and Court of Appeal in Enugu, which had upheld Anyanwu’s removal.
Supreme Court: “Lower Courts Had No Jurisdiction”
In the lead judgment by Justice Jamilu Tukur, the Supreme Court made it clear that internal affairs of a political party are not subject to judicial interference—a key legal principle that both lower courts had overlooked.
Additionally, the court ruled that the original plaintiff, Mr. Aniagu Emmanuel, had no legal standing to challenge Anyanwu’s position, as he failed to prove how the PDP National Secretary’s role affected him personally.
With this ruling, the Supreme Court upheld the minority decision from the appellate court, which had earlier nullified the high court’s verdict due to lack of jurisdiction.
A Battle for PDP’s National Secretary Position
The legal battle over PDP’s National Secretary seat has been heated. Last December, the Court of Appeal affirmed a high court ruling that sacked Anyanwu and recognized Chief Udeh-Okoye Enemchukwu as the rightful officeholder.
The appellate court had ruled that Anyanwu’s continued stay in office violated the PDP Constitution, citing the fact that he contested in last year’s Imo State governorship election under the party’s banner.
Despite the rulings, Anyanwu refused to back down, escalating the case to the Supreme Court. He filed for an accelerated hearing, arguing that the National Secretary’s role is crucial to the party’s operations.
PDP’s Internal Rift: What’s Next?
The Supreme Court’s decision has now thrown PDP’s leadership into fresh uncertainty. Before this ruling, both the Board of Trustees (BOT) and the National Working Committee (NWC) had already endorsed Chief Okoye as the party’s National Secretary, in line with earlier court decisions.
Now that Anyanwu has been reinstated by the Supreme Court, PDP will have to navigate the fallout of this ruling, balancing party unity with legal legitimacy.
With tensions running high, will the PDP leadership accept this final verdict, or will internal disputes continue to shake the party? One thing is clear—this ruling has reshaped the power dynamics within the PDP, and the political drama is far from over.
