The Supreme Court, overturned the rulings of both the Court of Appeal and the Federal High Court, which had previously removed Senator Samuel Anyanwu as National Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
A five-member panel of the apex court ruled that the issue surrounding the position of the PDP National Secretary falls under the internal affairs of the political party and, therefore, is non-justiciable.
Justice Jamilu Tukur, delivering the lead judgment, struck out the Federal High Court’s decision from October 2024 and also set aside the majority ruling of the Court of Appeal, which in December had upheld Anyanwu’s dismissal from the role.
The Supreme Court, however, upheld the minority judgment from the Court of Appeal, delivered by Justice Ekanem, which had nullified the trial court’s decision on the grounds of lack of jurisdiction.
Additionally, the apex court ruled that the plaintiff, Aniagu Emmanuel, who had initiated the suit at the trial court, lacked the necessary legal standing, as he failed to demonstrate how he was personally affected by the issue of the PDP National Secretary’s position.
