Supreme Court Reserves Judgment in Samuel Anyanwu’s Appeal Against PDP Removal

The Supreme Court has reserved its ruling on an appeal filed by Samuel Anyanwu, who is challenging his removal as the National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The decision was reached on Monday after a five-member panel of justices, led by Justice Uwani Aba-Aji, heard arguments from legal representatives of both parties.

At the hearing, Anyanwu’s counsel, Ken Njemanze, presented his case, while Paul Erokoro, representing respondent Aniagu Emmanuel, argued against the appeal. Following the session, the apex court announced that a date for the final judgment would be communicated to all parties in due course.

Anyanwu was removed from his position as PDP National Secretary after he emerged as the party’s governorship candidate for Imo State in the 2023 elections. The PDP’s South-East Zonal Executive Committee subsequently appointed Sunday Udeh-Okoye as his replacement.

Despite securing multiple court injunctions to halt his removal, Anyanwu suffered a setback in December 2024 when the Court of Appeal overturned a previous high court ruling in his favor. The appellate court upheld Udeh-Okoye as the legitimate National Secretary, prompting Anyanwu to escalate the matter to the Supreme Court.

During Monday’s hearing, Erokoro contended that Anyanwu’s attempt to reclaim his position contradicts the PDP constitution. He argued that by resigning to contest the Imo State governorship election, Anyanwu had forfeited his right to return as National Secretary.

Notably, the PDP and its acting National Chairman, Umar Damagun, did not submit arguments for or against the appeal. However, a fourth respondent, Ali Odeifa, raised objections to Anyanwu’s case.

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In another development, the Supreme Court struck out Anyanwu’s request to stay the execution of the appeal court and high court rulings that had removed him. His legal team withdrew the motion to allow the substantive appeal to proceed without delay.

With the Supreme Court yet to announce a verdict, the case remains a focal point of political and legal discourse within the PDP. The ruling could have significant implications for the party’s internal governance and the future political ambitions of Anyanwu.

Observers and stakeholders now await the final judgment, which will ultimately determine whether Anyanwu reclaims his position or if Udeh-Okoye’s appointment stands.