The Imo state People’s Democratic Party has hailed the Supreme Court judgement that authenticated Sen. Samuel Anyanwu as the national secretary of the Party.
The Apex court set aside the judgement of the lower court that declared Sunday Udey-Okoye as the national secretary of the party on Friday following a unanimous judgement.
Lancelot Obiaku , the Imo state Publicity Secretary of PDP stated this in a statement on Friday 21st March, 2025.
He said: “The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Imo State chapter describes the judgment of the Supreme Court over the recent National Secretaryship contest in the party as credible and sound.
The judgment halts an unprecedented rape of the party’s constitution which threatened the desires of its founding members.
The apex Court in a unanimous judgment of a five-member panel on Friday, March 21, 2025, declared Sen. Samuel Anyanwu as the authentic National Secretary of the party, setting aside the majority verdict of the Appeal Court in Enugu which had on December 20, 2024, upheld a High Court ruling that sacked him as the National Secretary of the PDP.
The Supreme Court held that the issue of who is the National Secretary of the PDP borders on the internal affairs of a political party which is not justiciable.
Delivering the lead judgement, Jamilu Tukur said that the plaintiff, Aniagu Emmanuel, who initiated the suit at the trial court lacked the necessary legal backing to do so, given that he did not prove how he was affected by who is the National Secretary of the PDP.
It said that clearly, Sen. Anyanwu did not resign his position and cannot be removed from office having been elected at a National Convention which is in line with the party’s constitution (2017) as amended.
Again, Sen. Anyanwu has proven not to breach any section of the party’s constitution, especially Section 48 (1) which forbids the holding of dual offices because he was not sworn in as Governor (a non-party elective office) after the Governorship election which he contested in November 2023.
Instructively, there’s no section of the party’s constitution which mandates an officer of the party to resign before vying for a non-party elective office.
The party hails Sen. Samuel Anyanwu’s courage in standing firm on the side of justice and rule of laws amid the unhealthy conspiracies and unconstitutional plots against him.
Imo PDP, therefore, calls on leaders and stakeholders of the party both in the State and at the national level to close ranks and embrace peace for the stability and growth of the party”, Obiaku stated.