The battle over the People’s Democratic Party National Secretary position took a fresh turn on Monday as the party and Mr. Sunday Udeh-Okoye moved to be joined in a lawsuit filed by Senator Samuel Anyanwu against the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
Anyanwu had approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking to halt an alleged plan to impeach him from office. However, the case is unfolding against the backdrop of a prior Court of Appeal ruling that declared Udeh-Okoye as the rightful occupant of the office.
The dispute dates back to Anyanwu’s candidacy in the November 2023 Imo State governorship election under the PDP. His participation in the election sparked debates over whether he had effectively vacated his national role.
Subsequently, the PDP’s South-East Zonal Executive Committee nominated Udeh-Okoye, a former National Youth Leader of the party, as his replacement.
On December 20, 2024, the Court of Appeal in Enugu ruled that Anyanwu had forfeited his position by contesting the governorship election, affirming Udeh-Okoye as the legitimate National Secretary. In line with this judgment, the PDP’s National Working Committee, NWC, on February 13, 2025, officially recognized Udeh-Okoye and began the process of notifying INEC.
However, Anyanwu has refused to step aside, escalating the matter to the Supreme Court and seeking a stay of execution to prevent the enforcement of the appellate court’s decision. He has also accused some PDP governors of interfering in the party’s internal affairs, warning that their actions could create deeper divisions.
As part of his legal push to retain his position, Anyanwu sued INEC and PDP’s acting National Chairman, Umar Damagun, before Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja. He sought an order to stop any move aimed at removing him.
Justice Ekwo had earlier declined to grant his ex-parte motion, instead directing the defendants to appear on February 24 and show cause why his request should not be granted.
When the case was called on Monday, Anyanwu’s lawyer, Ken Njemanze , reminded the court that it was set for the defendants to respond. While INEC was represented by Ahmed Mohammed, no lawyer appeared for Damagun.
Meanwhile, Paul Erokoro and Paul-Harris Ogbole announced their representation for Udeh-Okoye and the PDP, respectively, seeking to be joined in the suit. Erokoro argued that Udeh-Okoye is the rightful National Secretary of the party, based on the appellate court’s decision.
With the PDP leadership and Udeh-Okoye now pushing to be part of the case, the legal battle is expected to take a new dimension. The Supreme Court is yet to rule on Anyanwu’s appeal, but his fight to retain his position continues despite strong resistance from the party’s leadership.
The court is set to determine the next steps after reviewing arguments from all parties. Meanwhile, the PDP remains divided over the matter, with the party’s National Working Committee and Board of Trustees backing Udeh-Okoye’s appointment. The final resolution now hinges on judicial pronouncements and political manoeuvring within the party.
