The Court of Appeal sitting in Enugu has sacked Senator Samuel Anyanwu as the National Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and declared Rt. Hon. Ude Okoye as the substantive National Secretary.
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The ruling affirms the earlier judgment of the Enugu State High Court, which had removed Anyanwu and upheld Okoye’s nomination by the South East PDP Executives.
In the lead judgment delivered by Justice Ridwan Abdullahi, the court described Anyanwu’s claim to the secretaryship, despite contesting and emerging as the party’s governorship candidate, as a grave violation of the PDP constitution. Justice Abdullahi ruled that Anyanwu’s appeal against the lower court’s decision lacked merit.
The internal party conflict began when Senator Anyanwu, while serving as National Secretary, declared his intention to contest the Imo State governorship election. This declaration triggered legal disputes over his eligibility to retain the National Secretary position while pursuing a gubernatorial bid.
A lawsuit was subsequently filed, arguing that Anyanwu’s candidacy for governorship automatically vacated his position as National Secretary under the PDP’s constitution. The Enugu High Court ruled in favor of this argument, declaring the secretaryship vacant and recognizing Rt. Hon. Ude Okoye as the substantive National Secretary.
In response, Anyanwu appealed the decision to the Court of Appeal in Enugu, asserting that he could simultaneously hold the position of National Secretary while contesting for the governorship. However, the appellate court upheld the High Court’s decision, affirming Okoye’s position and condemning Anyanwu’s dual claims as a violation of party regulations.
The judgment has been praised for reinforcing constitutional adherence within the PDP, setting a precedent for internal party discipline and accountability.
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