A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Tuesday, declared Senator Samuel Anyanwu as the authentic national secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Justice Inyang Ekwo gave the verdict while ruling on the controversy surrounding the national secretary position of the party following the decision of Anyawu to contest the 2023 Imo governorship election and then return to the PDP position after losing at the polls.
The Judge further gave an injunction restraining the national leadership of the PDP from appointing any person as acting national secretary as he held that Anyanwu’s four-year tenure is still running and subsists until Dec. 9, 2025, in line with the party’s constitution.
Justice Ekwo also declared that any meeting held or resolution reached by the party to prematurely remove or prevent Anyanwu from exercising the powers of his office would be in violation of Article 47 (1) of the PDP Constitution (as amended in 2017), hence, becomes null and void and of no effect.
Also, the Judge restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) “from recognising any purported appointment of any person as national secretary of the party whether in acting capacity or otherwise other than Anyanwu, the elected national secretary of the 1st defendant (PDP).”
After hearing the arguments of all parties in the case, Justice Ekwo, in his judgement, held that the plaintiffs had been able to demonstrate, with credible evidence, the threat and move by the PDP leadership to remove its national secretary without due compliance with the provisions of the party’s constitution.
“The court is duty bound to prevent that from happening.
“The plaintiffs do not have to wait until the 1st — 4th defendants carry out their threat before coming to seek redress.
“In such situation, the court is bound to grant the reliefs sought by the plaintiffs,” he said.
