Samuel Anyanwu, the embattled national secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), says he is the authentic holder of the office.
Anyanwu spoke when he appeared on ‘Nigeria Right Now,’ a current affairs programme anchored by Dickson Iroegbu.
The PDP is embroiled in a fresh crisis as both Anyanwu and Sunday Ude-Okoye, a chieftain of the party, are laying claim to the position of the national secretary.
BACKGROUND
In December, the court of appeal ruled that Ude-Okoye should replace Anyanwu as the PDP national secretary.
The south-east zonal executive committee of the party nominated Udeh-Okoye to replace Anyanwu after he became the PDP gubernatorial candidate in Imo in 2023.
Anyanwu had obtained several court injunctions preventing his removal from office.
However, in a verdict delivered on December 20, 2024, Ridwan Abdullahi, the appeal court judge, dismissed the judgment of the high court, which prevented Anyanwu’s removal, for “lacking in merit”.
Following the judgment, Ude-Okoye has been parading himself as the national secretary of the party.
‘I’M THE PARTY’S SECRETARY’
Speaking during the interview, Anyanwu said he appealed the judgment and also filed for a stay of execution at the supreme court on the same day the appeal court delivered the verdict in favour of Ude-Okoye.
“As we speak today, I’m still the national secretary of PDP,” he said.
“The reason is that on the 20th of December, there was a court judgment from the appeal court of Enugu affirming the judgment of the state high court of Enugu.
“Before then, I had a federal high court judgment which affirmed my position. If you remember, sometime in 2023 before the election, precisely on the 10th of November 2023, there was a state high court judgment which said I should have resigned before vying for the office of the governor.
“Then I went to the federal high court here in Abuja, which confirmed my position that as long as I was elected by convention, my position is sacrosanct until the 9th of December 2025, when my position will officially end.
“Incidentally, the people that (filed) the case continued the matter at the appeal court. On the 20th of December, the court (delivered) a judgment in which N1 million cost was awarded against them.
“However, on the same 20th, we appealed the matter and then filed for a stay of execution, which is normal because the appeal court is not the highest court. So, what does that mean? It means that the status quo should remain.
“There is no faction in PDP. The PDP is led by the acting national chairman, Umar Damagum.
