A Federal High Court, Abuja has declared Senator Samuel Anyanwu as the valid National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Justice Inyang Ekwo, in a judgment, made an order of injunction restraining the national leadership of the PDP from appointing any person as acting national secretary when Anyanwu’s four-year tenure is still running and subsisting until December 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.
The judge also 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).”
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Daily Trust reports that the party on November 15, 2023 appointed its Deputy National Secretary, Setonji Koshoedo as the acting secretary to douse the tension over the leadership tussle that had engulfed the position some months ago.
Trouble over who presides as the national secretary of the party started when Senator Anyanwu won the governorship primary and became the candidate of the party for the November 11 election in Imo.
In his absence, the South East Caucus of the party appointed Ude Okoye to replace Anyanwu, a development that was resisted by Anyanwu and members of the NWC.
Following the appointment of Koshoedo, the court had, on Nov. 23, 2023, stopped the PDP from removing Anyanwu as national secretary pending the hearing and determination of the substantive matter.
The order followed an ex-parte motion by Dr Joshua Musa, SAN, on behalf of two members of the party; Geoffrey Ihentuge and Apollos Godspower, PDP chairmen of Ikeduru and Owerri Municipal LGAs respectively in Imo State.
The plaintiffs had sued the PDP; Umar Damagun, party’s acting National Chairman; National Executive Committee (NEC); the National Working Committee (NWC) and INEC as 1st to 5th defendants respectively.
Reacting to the judgement, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Debo Ologunagba said the party would respect the judgement of the court just as it had been respecting previous court judgments.
Daily Trust however couldn’t get a reaction from Ali Odefa, the National Vice Chairman, South East zone of the party, who led the South East Caucus that endorsed Okoye as the zone’s candidate to replace Anyanwu.
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