PDP secretary: Crisis deepens after Supreme Court ruling

The Supreme Court on Friday set aside the decision of the Court of Appeal, Enugu Division, delivered on 20 December 2024, which affirmed the removal of Senator Samuel Anyanwu as the National Secretary of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).   In a unanimous judgment by a five-member panel, the apex court ruled that matters […]

The Supreme Court on Friday set aside the decision of the Court of Appeal, Enugu Division, delivered on 20 December 2024, which affirmed the removal of Senator Samuel Anyanwu as the National Secretary of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).  

In a unanimous judgment by a five-member panel, the apex court ruled that matters concerning the leadership or membership of a political party are internal affairs and should not be subject to judicial intervention. The court held that the Federal High Court lacked jurisdiction to hear the matter initially brought by Aniagwu Emmanuel. 

However, the judgment, expected to bring an end to the crisis, has left the PDP leadership and members in disarray, as both parties in the suit—Anyanwu and Ude-Okoye—are claiming victory. The development threatens to disrupt the fragile peace the party has enjoyed since its organs unanimously endorsed Sunday Ude-Okoye following the High Court’s ruling in Enugu. 

 

How the trouble between Anyanwu and Ude-Okoye began

In April 2023, ahead of the Imo State governorship election, PDP delegates elected Senator Samuel Anyanwu as the party’s governorship candidate. Even before the primaries, some party stakeholders raised concerns that Anyanwu’s dual role as National Secretary and governorship aspirant gave him an undue advantage. They called on him to relinquish his position.

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For instance, former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and ex-Imo governor, Emeka Ihedioha, withdrew from the governorship race, citing bias and accusing Anyanwu of leveraging his position to secure the party’s nomination. 

‘I cannot continue in a process where the National Secretary is also a contestant. It is a clear conflict of interest,’ Ihedioha said at the time. 

After Anyanwu secured the party’s nod to contest the election, South East stakeholders convened in Enugu and appointed Sunday Ude-Okoye, a former National Youth Leader, as the party’s National Secretary. However, when Anyanwu lost the election to Governor Hope Uzodinma, he returned to the party’s headquarters in Abuja, only to be rebuffed, leading to a series of litigations. 

 

Road to the Supreme Court

The dispute between Anyanwu and Ude-Okoye, as well as the National Working Committee (NWC) and the South East Zonal leadership that endorsed Ude-Okoye, culminated in a legal battle to determine the rightful occupant of the National Secretary’s office. 

In October 2023, Aniagwu Emmanuel, a party member, filed a suit at the High Court in Enugu State to resolve the matter. Joined in the case were the PDP, Acting National Chairman Ambassador Umar Damagum, Anyanwu as National Secretary, and High Chief Ali Odefa, the party’s National Vice Chairman for the South East Zone, who championed Ude-Okoye’s nomination. 

The court ruled that by holding both the National Secretary and Imo governorship candidate positions, Anyanwu had effectively made himself a judge in his own case. It noted that the PDP constitution and the party’s electoral guidelines for primary elections, issued by the National Executive Committee in March 2022, do not permit an individual to simultaneously serve as a governorship candidate and National Secretary. 

 ‘By the spirit and letters of the PDP constitution and electoral guidelines for primary elections given by the National Executive Committee of the party in March 2022, the party does not contemplate a situation where the same person will emerge as a gubernatorial candidate of the party in any state and still occupy the position of the national secretary,’ the court stated. 

Consequently, the court restrained Anyanwu from parading himself as the party’s National Secretary, stating that he had relinquished the position by conduct. 

Dissatisfied with the ruling, Anyanwu appealed the decision. On 20 December 2024, the Court of Appeal in Enugu upheld the High Court’s judgment, confirming Ude-Okoye as the rightful National Secretary. This prompted Anyanwu to take the matter to the Supreme Court. 

Although his initial request for a stay of execution of the Appeal Court’s verdict was rejected, Friday’s Supreme Court ruling has reignited the controversy, potentially leading to further realignment within the party. 

 

Ude-Okoye’s endorsement

Recently, key party organs, including the Governors’ Forum, the Board of Trustees (BoT), and the NWC endorsed Ude-Okoye as the rightful National Secretary. 

Following a meeting in Asaba, Delta State, PDP governors declared their support for Ude-Okoye, citing the Court of Appeal’s judgment. They urged the NWC to implement the court’s decision. 

A communiqué signed by the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum and Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, noted the ongoing efforts to resolve the crisis and reaffirmed support for the Court of Appeal’s ruling in favour of Ude-Okoye. 

“Consequently, the Forum advised the NWC to set up machinery for the effective implementation of the court judgment,” the communiqué stated. 

However, attempts by the BoT to mediate the crisis turned violent at the party’s headquarters in Abuja, as thugs loyal to Anyanwu attempted to eject Ude-Okoye from a BoT meeting.

Weekend Trust learned that both Anyanwu and Ude-Okoye were invited to the meeting, but Anyanwu’s supporters forcibly removed Ude-Okoye, prompting security intervention. 

“It took the intervention of security agencies deployed to the secretariat and further deployment to stem the tide of violence,” a party source revealed. 

At an emergency meeting held at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja due to security concerns, the BoT, based on the recommendations of a committee led by Dr Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), declared Ude-Okoye the rightful National Secretary. 

The NWC also endorsed Ude-Okoye, who has since been attending NWC meetings presided over by Damagum. 

 

Reactions to Friday’s judgment

Following the Supreme Court’s ruling, the NWC welcomed the decision, stating that it affirmed leadership positions as internal party matters beyond judicial jurisdiction. 

Debo Ologunagba, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, said the judgment reaffirmed Ude-Okoye’s position as the substantive National Secretary, having been duly nominated and ratified by the party’s statutory organs in line with the PDP constitution. 

‘For clarity, the NWC at its 576th meeting held on 11 October 2023 directed the South East Zonal Executive Committee to nominate a replacement for Senator Samuel Anyanwu upon his nomination as the governorship candidate of the PDP to contest the November 2023 governorship election in Imo State,’ Ologunagba explained. 

“Consequent upon the directive of the NWC, the South East Zonal Executive Committee at its meeting held on 20 October 2023 passed a resolution approving the emergence and forwarding of the name of Rt. Hon. SKE Ude-Okoye to the NWC as the National Secretary of the Party,” he added. 

Ologunagba also noted that the NWC, at its 577th meeting on 7 November 2023, approved Ude-Okoye’s appointment, which was subsequently endorsed by the BoT, the South East Zonal Caucus, the PDP Governors’ Forum, and officially communicated to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). 

The PDP commended the Supreme Court for upholding the principle of party supremacy in managing internal affairs, describing the ruling as a victory for democracy. 

 

Orbih congratulates Anyanwu, urges him to discharge duties courageously

Meanwhile, factional National Vice Chairman (South South), Chief Dan Orbih, disagreed with the party leadership’s stance, urging Anyanwu to resume his duties as National Secretary with courage. 

Orbih, recently re-elected at a zonal congress conducted by loyalists of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike, which has been nullified by the NWC, described the Supreme Court’s ruling as a reinforcement of the rule of law and constitutionalism within the party. 

“The Supreme Court has affirmed you as the authentic National Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). This landmark judgment not only restores your position as National Secretary but also reinforces the values of rule of law and constitutionalism within our great party,” Orbih said in a statement. 

“As you resume duties in your office, I urge you to be bold, firm and courageous in the discharge of your duties. Your leadership is vital in steering the PDP towards a brighter future, and we are confident in your ability to navigate the challenges ahead with wisdom and integrity,” he added. 

Orbih also assured Anyanwu of the South South zone’s support, saying, “Together, we will strive to build a stronger and more vibrant PDP true to its core principles.” 

 

Anyanwu storms party secretariat after Supreme Court judgment

Efforts to reach Anyanwu for comment on the NWC’s statement affirming Ude-Okoye as the authentic National Secretary were unsuccessful, as he did not answer calls or respond to a text message. 

However, Weekend Trust learned that Anyanwu immediately visited the party’s headquarters with his supporters after the Supreme Court ruling. He reportedly thanked FCT Minister Nyesom Wike for his support during the crisis. 

A party source revealed that Anyanwu told his supporters, “I am here to resume my duties as the National Secretary of our great party. I thank the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, for standing by me during this challenging period.” 

The source added that Anyanwu’s supporters chanted solidarity songs as they accompanied him to the secretariat, creating a tense atmosphere. 

 

Implications for the PDP

The Supreme Court’s ruling has left the PDP at a crossroads, with the party’s leadership and members divided over the rightful occupant of the National Secretary’s office. While the NWC and key party organs have thrown their weight behind Ude-Okoye, Anyanwu’s supporters, led by Orbih, remain defiant. 

Political analysts warn that the crisis could deepen existing divisions within the party, particularly as the 2027 general elections approach. The PDP, once Nigeria’s dominant political party, has struggled to maintain unity since its defeat in the 2015 presidential election. 

As the party grapples with internal strife, the focus now shifts to whether the PDP can reconcile its factions and present a united front ahead of future elections.