A five-member panel of the Supreme Court has ruled that the position of National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) falls under the internal affairs of the party and is not subject to judicial intervention.
Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Jamilu Tukur struck out the October 2024 verdict of the trial court and overturned the majority decision of the Court of Appeal, which had upheld the removal of Samuel Anyanwu as PDP’s National Secretary in December.
Instead, the Supreme Court upheld the minority ruling of the appellate court delivered by Justice Ekanem, who had dismissed the trial court’s decision on the grounds of lack of jurisdiction.
Additionally, the apex court stated that the plaintiff, Aniagu Emmanuel, lacked the legal standing to file the case, as he failed to demonstrate how the appointment of the PDP National Secretary personally affected him.
Meanwhile, key party organs—including the PDP National Working Committee, Board of Trustees, PDP Governors’ Forum, and the South East Zonal Executive Committee—had all endorsed Udeh-Okoye for the role of National Secretary.
Last month, the Tom Ikimi-led PDP disciplinary committee recommended Anyanwu’s expulsion from the party, citing his failure to appear before the panel to respond to a petition filed by the PDP Young Generation caucus.
The petition accused Anyanwu of anti-party activities, violating Article 58(1)(f) of the PDP Constitution, and engaging in conduct that could disrupt the party’s smooth operations, contrary to Article 58(1)(h) of the PDP Constitution (2017).
