On December 20, 2024, the Court of Appeal in Enugu upheld the earlier ruling that removed Anyanwu and installed Ude-Okoye as the rightful PDP National Secretary. However, the embattled challenged the decision, filing for a Stay of Execution and appealing the judgment.
Abuja, Nigeria – The Supreme Court has upheld Samuel Anyanwu as the National Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), settling a protracted leadership dispute within the party.
Anyanwu, a close associate of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, had been in a legal battle with Sunday Ude-Okoye over the position.
Ude-Okoye had secured backing from various PDP factions after an Appeal Court in Enugu affirmed a Federal High Court ruling that removed Anyanwu from office. However, in a unanimous verdict delivered on Friday, a five-member panel of the Supreme Court ruled that issues concerning the leadership and membership of a political party are internal matters and should not be subject to judicial intervention.
Justice Jamilu Tukur, who delivered the lead judgment, clarified that courts can only interfere in such matters under specific circumstances. These include situations where the Nigerian Constitution expressly grants the court jurisdiction, where a crime has been committed, or where contractual rights have been violated—none of which applied in this case.
The dispute over the National Secretary position arose after Anyanwu vacated the role to contest the Imo State governorship election, which he ultimately lost. Following his defeat, attempts to reclaim his position triggered fresh divisions within the party.
On December 20, 2024, the Court of Appeal in Enugu upheld the earlier ruling that removed Anyanwu and installed Ude-Okoye as the rightful PDP National Secretary. However, Anyanwu challenged the decision, filing for a Stay of Execution and appealing the judgment.
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