The Supreme Court has reserved its ruling on an appeal by Senator Samuel Anyanwu, who is challenging his removal as the National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The five-member panel, led by Justice Musa Awani Abba-Aji, stated that a judgment date would be communicated later.
Background of the Case
Anyanwu resigned as PDP National Secretary to contest the Imo governorship election but sought to reclaim his position after losing the race. However, Aniagu Emmanuel filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Enugu, arguing that Anyanwu could not return to office after resigning. The court ruled in favor of Chief Sunday Ude-Okoye, affirming him as the new National Secretary.
Anyanwu then approached the Supreme Court, urging it to overturn both the Federal High Court and Court of Appeal rulings that upheld his removal. He insisted that he should be allowed to return to the position since he was unsuccessful in his gubernatorial bid.
Legal Arguments
During Monday’s hearing, Anyanwu’s legal team asked the Supreme Court to set aside the lower court rulings. However, Paul Erokoro, representing Aniagu Emmanuel, countered that Anyanwu’s request was against the PDP’s constitution. He argued that resigning from the position to contest another election meant Anyanwu could not return.
Other parties in the case included PDP and its acting national chairman, Illiya Damagun, who did not take a stand on the matter. However, the party’s National Vice Chairman for the South-East, Ali Odefa, opposed Anyanwu’s appeal and urged the Supreme Court to dismiss it as baseless and without merit.
Justice Emmanuel Akomaye Agim questioned whether the Supreme Court had jurisdiction over PDP leadership disputes. In response, Erokoro cited a past case involving former PDP chairman Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, where the Supreme Court ruled on a similar leadership issue.
Supreme Court Dismisses Stay of Execution Request
Earlier, Anyanwu had requested the Supreme Court to halt the execution of the lower courts’ judgments while his appeal was being heard. However, he later withdrew this request, and the court dismissed it.
Previous Court Rulings
The Court of Appeal in Enugu had upheld the Federal High Court’s decision last December, ruling that Anyanwu’s appeal lacked merit. It found that by contesting in the 2024 Imo governorship election, Anyanwu violated the PDP constitution and could not claim the National Secretary position.
Unhappy with the ruling, Anyanwu took the matter to the Supreme Court in February, seeking to overturn the decisions of the two lower courts and regain his former office. The Supreme Court is now set to deliver a final judgment on the matter.