An Enugu State High Court sitting in Enugu has ordered the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to recognise Rt. Hon. Sunday Ude Okoye, a former National Youth Leader of the Party, as the candidate recommended by the South East Zonal Executive Committee as a replacement for Senator Samuel “Samdaddy” Nnaemeka Anyanwu as the party’s National Secretary pending the determination of the matter.
The presiding judge, Justice C.O Ajah, gave the order on Tuesday following a motion on notice filed by one Nwabueze Ugwu.
Senator Anyanwu, it could be recalled, is the PDP National Secretary and the party’s candidate in the upcoming Imo State gubernatorial election.
News Band earlier cited a report which said that “Anyanwu was booted out… following his reluctance to honourably vacate the position as required by the Constitution of his Party”.
The report stated that “Anyanwu’s removal was ratified by the Zonal Executive Council of the Party in their meeting in Enugu which also approved the appointment of Rt. Hon. Sunday Ude Okoye, a former National Youth Leader of the Party as his replacement.”
Ruling in the Motion on Tuesday, Justice Ajah granted the application seeking to declare Senator Anyanwu’s seat vacant due to his current position as the candidate of the party in next month’s governorship election in Imo state.
While ruling on the motion on notice, the court ordered the defendants, PDP national chairman, national secretary, and national Vice Chairman, South East Zone, Chief Ali Odefa, as follows:
- “That an Interim Order is hereby granted as prayed.
- “That the 2 Defendant/Respondent is hereby ordered to recognize within 24 hours of the service of this order on him, HON. S.K.E. UDEH-OKOYE (the person recommended by the South East Zonal Executive Committee of the 1” Defendant /Respondent; pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.
- “That this Order will lapse after seven (7) days from today in accordance with the Rules of this Court. That the matter is adjourned to 30/10/2023 for the hearing of the Motion on Notice.”
In the meantime, some leaders of the party have condemned Chief Odefa, who read a communique after the meeting, for the decision to remove Senator Anyanwu as the national secretary, contrary to the constitution of the party.
While reacting, the Convener of South East Patriots (SEP) Barr. Obunike Ohaegbu, called on Odefa and his South East Zonal Working Committee to “resign immediately for causing national embarrassment to HE Peter Mba and the entire South East over the removal of PDP National Secretary”.
Barr. Ohaegbu expressed shocked that the National Secretary of PDP, who also doubled as the PDP gubernatorial candidate in Imo State was allegedly replaced with Ude Okoye.
He argued that nowhere in the records is anything in the PDP Constitution that authozised such meetings enshrined.
According to him, the timing of the supposed removal of Senator Anyanwu is in bad taste and should not be tolerated. Read more.
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