THE Supreme Court has reserved judgment in the appeal filed by embattled Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Samuel Anyanwu, challenging his removal from office
In his appeal, Anyanwu is seeking to set aside the judgment of the Court of Appeal, Enugu Division, which upheld the Federal High Court’s decision removing him as the party’s secretary.
In a 10-ground appeal filed through his Counsel, Chief Ken Njemanze (SAN), Anyanwu prayed the apex court to allow the appeal and overturn the lower courts’ decisions.
The appeal, marked SC/CV/82/2025, has Aniagu Emmanuel, the PDP, Ambassador Iliya Damagun (acting National Chairman) and Chief Ali Odefa (National Vice Chairman, Southeast), listed as the First to Fourth Respondents.
Specifically, Anyanwu is challenging the majority judgment of the Court of Appeal on December 20, last year, which affirmed the High Court’s judgment removing him as PDP National Secretary and recognising Chief Sunday Udey-Okoye as his replacement.
He argued that the appellate court erred in law by upholding the trial court’s jurisdiction over a matter concerning the internal affairs of the PDP, contending that issues relate to party leadership and membership, which are non-justiciable and fall outside any court’s jurisdiction.
He criticised the lower court for failing to rule on whether the Plaintiff had complied with the mandatory internal dispute resolution mechanisms stipulated in the PDP constitution before filing the suit, faulting the court’s decision to grant the Plaintiff locus standi to institute the case, insisting that such issues are fundamental to the court’s jurisdiction over the matter.
Anyanwu challenged the lower court’s interpretation of Section 84(12) of the Electoral Act 2022, saying he neither resigned nor was removed from his position as national secretary, stressing that the PDP constitution outlines specific procedures for vacating executive offices, including removal or resignation.
He also argued that Article 47 of the PDP constitution provides for a four-year single term for party officers and there was no legal basis for the lower courts’ concurrent findings that he had vacated his office.
At the resumed hearing of the appeal, all parties in the suit adopted their processes, except the PDP and Damagun, who did not file any processes.
The Respondents unanimously urged the court to dismiss the appeal, citing Ali Modu Sheriff vs PDP, urging the court to depart from its earlier decision that political party matters are internal and beyond the jurisdiction of any court.
