PDP Dismisses Anyanwu’s Return As National Secretary

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described Senator Samuel Anyanwu’s return to office as unfortunate and embarrassing, stressing that it has not been served any stay of execution by the Supreme Court halting an Appeal Court judgement which sacked him from office since late last year.

The PDP national publicity secretary, Hon Debo Ologunagba, said this while reacting to Anyanwu’s resumption of office as national secretary

Senator Samuel Anyanwu on Monday resumed office as PDP national secretary.

His resumption heightens anxiety in the legal tussle over who the party’s national secretary is, a position being claimed by former national youth leader Sunday Ude-Okoye.

The PDP resumed official activities on Monday after its closure for the holidays in the last week of last year.

However, Ude-Okoye, had two weeks ago declared his assumption of office based on the Appeal Court judgement which sacked Anyanwu. He had visited the party secretariat and met with some governors and party leaders as well.

His declaration was echoed by the national publicity secretary of PDP, Hon Debo Ologunagba, last week, who recognised Ude-Okoye as party secretary based on court judgement.

But Anyanwu yesterday insisted that he had filed a stay of execution at the Supreme Court over his removal by the appeal court.

He insisted that he remain the party’s national scribe, in a letter he wrote to the organs of the party barely hours before the party’s resumption on Monday.

Addressing newsmen shortly after he got into office on Monday morning, Anyanwu dressed in a white traditional attire and red cap, said he has resumed office, adding that Ologunagba position on the matter was wrong.

He said “That is his (Ologunagba) opinion and not the opinion of the party. He merely made a statement and as national publicity secretary of our party I wouldn’t want to disparage him in the media, maybe he didn’t get the facts correct. He never knew that the matter had been appealed at the Supreme Court and he is a lawyer so he should understand the position of the law.”

Reacting however, PDP national publicity secretary, Debo Ologunagba, said “We have not received any stay of execution. Anyanwu’s resumption is unfortunate; this is not the time for the party to go through this kind of embarrassing situation. We are a country of rule of law and order.

“If you have a stay of execution, it’s a process. You have to serve the parties involved. As I said, the party, PDP, has not received either a notice of motion for a stay or been served a stay of execution. I don’t know where that is coming from, but the party has a process. When the document comes in, I will be made aware through the legal adviser. As we speak, I have no information at this time that the party has been served either a motion for stay or a stay of execution.

“I am not going to predict what the party will or will not do. I know very well that when you have a stay of execution, there’s a process. When you apply for a stay, there is a motion you must have filed and served before the court can listen to that motion and take action.

“As I speak to you, this party has not received a motion on notice for a stay application, nor, to my knowledge, has the party received a stay order granted by a court of competent jurisdiction.”

Ologunagba said it is unfortunate that such a drama is going on, adding however that Anyanwu’s attempt to resort to self help is more condemnable.

“We have information about the activities of thugs from Niger State. We are privy to the communication involved, including the emails that were sent by bank transfer. We have details of that. All of these were done at the behest of Senator Anyanwu. It is unfortunate that a former senator should be a lawbreaker. There is a process; let’s agree on the rule of law. We have no personal issues with him. I don’t think the party has personal issues. He went to court and appealed the case but did not let the process proceed.

“As I’ve said before, we don’t do self-help. It’s a process. We are a law-and-order party. Because we are a law-and-order party, that is why we don’t act impulsively. We see the hand of the third force in this matter. We suspect that, unfortunately, some members of the party are being used by the ruling party to disturb us so that the party will have issues going into the next election because of the fundamental failure of the APC.

“Having said that, we are a party of law and order. We will follow through with the process. We don’t do self-help. We are not in the jungle.

“PDP will continue to do what is in the interest of the party, in accordance with the law and the constitution. Don’t forget, the judgment granted is a declaratory judgment. That cannot be stayed. It’s clear.

“If they have applied for a stay, let the court decide one way or the other. And whatever the court decides, this party will abide by that,” he said.