The Supreme Court has dismissed a request by Samuel Anyanwu to halt the execution of a Court of Appeal judgment that removed him as the National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
During Monday’s proceedings, Anyanwu unexpectedly sought to withdraw his request, prompting the apex court to throw it out. Justice Musa Awani Aba-Aji dismissed the application after Kingsley Njemanze, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), formally withdrew it on behalf of his client.
Both the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal in Enugu had previously ruled against Anyanwu, removing him from his position. The Court of Appeal had, in a December 2023 ruling, upheld the Federal High Court’s decision and recognized Chief Sunday Ude-Okoye as the rightful National Secretary of the PDP. In its verdict, the appellate court, led by Justice Ridwan Abdullahi, declared Anyanwu’s appeal incompetent, stating that he violated the PDP constitution by holding onto the position after contesting as the party’s governorship candidate in Imo State’s 2024 election.
Following these rulings, Anyanwu approached the Supreme Court in February, seeking to overturn the lower courts’ decisions and have himself reinstated. He also filed a motion for an expedited hearing, citing the significance of the National Secretary’s role.
Meanwhile, a five-member panel of justices, led by Justice Aba-Aji, is continuing with hearings on the substantive case.
