The Supreme Court judgement on the legitimate national secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has left the contending actors – Hon Sunday Ude-Okoye and Senator Samuel Anyanwu – claiming victory.
The party’s National Working Committee (NWC) declared that the apex court’s judgement affirmed the party’s supremacy in the matter which recognises Ude-Okoye as the national secretary.
The party maintained that Ude-Okoye had been endorsed by relevant organs and bodies of the PDP including the Board of Trustees (BoT), South East zonal caucus, PDP Governors’ Forum, INEC and the general public had officially been communicated.
However, Anyanwu immediately after the Supreme Court verdict, stormed the party’s national secretariat and accessed his office.
Similarly, stakeholders of the two contending forces also claim victory over the judgement.
While the Dan Orbih-led party exco in the South South has congratulated Anyanwu, the opposition coalition spokesperson, Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, hailed the judgement as recognising Ude-Okoye and for empowering PDP leadership to finally sanction Anyanwu and others he described as anti-party forces.
Earlier, a the Supreme Court, in a unanimous decision by a five-member panel, faulted the Court of Appeal and High Court in Enugu for involving themselves in what it described as a domestic affair of a political party.
The high court had ordered the removal of Anyanwu as the national scribe of the party.
The decision of the trial court was subsequently upheld by the appellate court which recognised Chief Udeh-Okoye Enemchukwu as Senator Anyanwu’s replacement.
The appellate court held that Anyanwu’s continued stay in office as national secretary was in breach of PDP’s Constitution, having contested and emerged as the party’s candidate in the governorship election that held in Imo State last year.
Dissatisfied with the judgements, Anyanwu approached the Supreme Court to set them aside.
Delivering its judgement in the matter yesterday, a five-member panel of the Supreme Court led by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji held that the two lower courts were wrong to have meddled in an internal affair of the PDP.
It held that the party had its own dispute resolution mechanisms embedded in its constitution.
The apex court, in its lead judgement that was delivered by Justice Jamilu Tukur, stressed that the judiciary would only intervene, when a political party is accused of sidelining its own laws and regulations.
It held that it is not the duty of courts to involve itself in the leadership selection process of political parties but to ensure adherence to due process, equity, justice, fairness and the rule of law.
Besides, the Supreme Court noted that the plaintiff, Aniagu Emmanuel, whose substantive suit led to Anyanwu’s removal, failed to establish his locus standi (legal right) to institute the action.
Recall that South East leaders of the party had in 2023 adopted Ude-Okoye to be the party’s national secretary after Anyanwu emerged the party’s governorship candidate in Imo State.
Following a lengthy tussle in lower courts, the PDP governors, the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) and NWC have since endorsed Ude-Okoye as the party’s national secretary.
However, reacting to the Supreme Court judgement, the PDP national publicity secretary, Hon Debo Ologunagba, said it reaffirmed the standing position of the party and “emphatically settled the emergence of Rt. Hon. SKE Udeh Okoye as the substantive National Secretary of the PDP having been duly nominated, endorsed and ratified through the internal mechanism of the PDP statutory Organs and bodies in line with provisions of the PDP Constitution (as amended in 2017).”
Ologungaba said the NWC, at its 576th meeting held on October 11, 2023, directed the South East Zonal Executive Committee to nominate a replacement for Senator Samuel Anyanwu upon Senator Anyanwu’s nomination as the governorship candidate of the PDP to contest the November 2023 Governorship election in Imo State.
“Consequent upon the directive of the NWC, the South East Zonal Executive Committee at its meeting held on the 20th of October 2023 passed a resolution approving the emergence and forwarding of the name of Rt. Hon. SKE Udeh Okoye to the NWC as the National Secretary of the Party.
“Accordingly, the NWC at its 577th meeting held on 7th of November 2023 pursuant to its powers under the PDP Constitution, duly received, deliberated upon, accepted and approved the emergence of Rt. Hon. SKE Udeh Okoye as the National Secretary of the Party, which appointment has also since been endorsed by relevant Organs and bodies of the PDP including the Board of Trustees (BoT), South East Zonal Caucus, the PDP Governors’ Forum and officially communicated to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the general public.”
He commended the Supreme Court for upholding the principle of the supremacy of the Party in the management of its internal affairs, describing it as victory for democracy.
Shortly after entering the national secretary office at Wadata, Anyanwu, accompanied by his supporters, assured that he would continue to work for the party’s success.
He thanked party leaders across the country who stood by the truth in the matter.
“In everything, we are one family. We are a PDP family. So, in this victory, it is a victory for all PDP. It is not a victory for me.
“I want to thank, in a very special way, my friend and my leader, the Honorable Minister for FCT. Who also believed and stood by me and supported me and also gave me encouragement and to some of our governors who believe in the truth, who stood by me.
“And I want to assure you all my colleagues in the NWC, that we are one family. We came here as a family and we will live as a family. It would not be nice if all of us that came here and we will leave the same day.
“I want to assure them that despite what has happened, we are human, we will always err but what matters is that if you’re sincere and honest about your repentance from what you have done.”
He said the party will be reshaped to win elections in 2027.
“And I want to plead with all those who are causing confusion in our party to please desist. Because this is the only party we have.
“We cannot destroy our home. We cannot destroy our bed. If we destroy our bed, we will keep sleeping on the floor. But because the people of Nigeria love the PDP, we are going to work hard. We are going to brainstorm to see how the party will come back again,” he said.
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