The Supreme Court of Nigeria has nullified the judgments of the Court of Appeal and Federal High Court that removed Samuel Anyanwu as the National Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). According to the apex court, the debate over who is the PDP’s National Secretary is an internal affair of the party, which is not justiciable.
A five-member panel of the Supreme Court, led by Justice Jamilu Tukur, struck out the judgment of the trial court delivered in October 2024 and set aside the majority judgment of the Court of Appeal, which had affirmed Anyanwu’s sack in December. Instead, the Supreme Court affirmed the minority judgment of the appellate court, which had nullified the trial court’s judgment due to lack of jurisdiction.
The court also held that the plaintiff, Aniagu Emmanuel, lacked the necessary legal backing to initiate the suit, as he did not show how he was affected by who is the National Secretary of the PDP. This ruling has sparked mixed reactions, with some praising the court’s decision and others criticizing it.
It’s worth noting that the PDP National Working Committee, Board of Trustees, PDP Governors’ Forum, and the South East Zonal Executive Committee had previously affirmed Udeh-Okoye as the National Secretary of the party. Additionally, the Tom Ikimi-led disciplinary committee of the party had recommended Anyanwu’s expulsion from the PDP for alleged anti-party activities.
