BREAKING: Supreme Court Reaffirms Anyanwu As PDP National Secretary
The Supreme Court has officially upheld Senator Samuel Anyanwu as the legitimate National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), overturning a previous ruling by the Appeal Court in Enugu.
In a judgment delivered on Friday by a five-member panel, the court resolved the long-standing leadership dispute between Anyanwu and Sunday Ude-Okoye, a conflict that had deepened divisions within the opposition party.
Justice Jamilu Tukur, who read the lead judgment, stated that issues concerning the leadership or membership of a political party are strictly internal matters and do not fall under judicial jurisdiction.
“The exceptional conditions that would have granted the court authority over the internal affairs of a political party were absent,” Justice Tukur explained.
The court outlined that such exceptional conditions would include instances where the Nigerian Constitution grants the judiciary jurisdiction, where a crime has been committed, or where there is a breach of contractual rights. Since none of these conditions were met, the court ruled in favor of Anyanwu.
The dispute began when Anyanwu vacated his role as National Secretary to run in the Imo governorship election, which he ultimately lost. After his defeat, Anyanwu sought to reclaim his position, leading to internal conflict with Ude-Okoye, who emerged as a rival for the post.
On December 20, 2024, the Appeal Court in Enugu upheld a prior Federal High Court ruling, removing Anyanwu from his post and recognizing Ude-Okoye as the legitimate secretary.
In response, Anyanwu filed a Stay of Execution and appealed the ruling to the Supreme Court.
Friday’s landmark decision by the apex court has now conclusively ended the legal battle, re-establishing Anyanwu as the PDP National Secretary and emphasizing the importance of political parties resolving their internal disputes without court intervention.
