A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Samuel Anyanwu, reaffirmed his position as the authentic National Secretary of the party amid a fresh leadership tussle.
The PDP is currently embroiled in a crisis, with both Anyanwu and Sunday Ude-Okoye laying claim to the role of National Secretary.
The dispute follows a Court of Appeal ruling in December 2024 that declared Ude-Okoye as the rightful occupant of the position.
In 2023, the South East Zonal Executive Committee of the party had nominated Ude-Okoye to replace Anyanwu after the latter emerged as the PDP gubernatorial candidate for Imo State.
However, Anyanwu obtained several court injunctions to block his removal.
On December 20, 2024, Justice Ridwan Abdullahi of the Court of Appeal dismissed the earlier high court judgment that had prevented Anyanwu’s removal, stating it “lacked merit.”
Following this ruling, Ude-Okoye began to assume the role of National Secretary, with the party affirming his position.
In response, Anyanwu stated during an interview on a YouTube current affairs program, Nigeria Right Now, on Thursday, that he had appealed the judgment and filed for a stay of execution at the Supreme Court on the same day the appeal court delivered its verdict.
“As we speak today, I’m still the National Secretary of PDP,” Anyanwu asserted.
“The reason is that on the 20th of December, there was a court judgment from the Court of Appeal in Enugu affirming the judgment of the Enugu State High Court.
Before then, I had a federal high court judgment which affirmed my position,” he stated.
Anyanwu recounted his legal battles, stating, “Sometime in 2023, before the election, precisely on November 10, there was a state high court judgment which said I should have resigned before vying for the office of governor.
Then I went to the federal high court in Abuja, which confirmed my position that as long as I was elected by convention, my position is sacrosanct until December 9, 2025, when my tenure officially ends.”
He further clarified, “On December 20, we appealed the matter and filed for a stay of execution.
This is normal because the appeal court is not the highest court.
So, what does that mean? It means the status quo should remain.”
Addressing concerns about factionalism, Anyanwu emphasized that the PDP remains united under its acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum.
“There is no faction in PDP.
The PDP is led by the acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum,” he stated.
