The Court of Appeal sitting in Enugu has affirmed the decision of a High Court nullifying Samuel Anyanwu as the National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The court also upheld Ude Okoye as the substantive National Secretary of the party.
In a lead judgment delivered by Justice Ridwan Abdullahi on Friday, the court ruled that Anyanwu’s claim to the position of PDP National Secretary after emerging as the party’s governorship candidate violated the party’s constitution. The court declared his appeal lacked merit.
Reacting to the ruling, Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, the House of Representatives member for Ideato North/South and spokesperson for the Opposition Lawmakers Coalition, hailed the decision as a victory for democracy.
In a statement released on Friday afternoon, Ugochinyere commended the court for upholding the principles of the PDP’s constitution. He also expressed the coalition’s support for Ude Okoye, pledging to assist in ensuring a successful tenure.
“We want to salute the courage of the Appeal Court to have ended this madness by first of all upholding the judgment of Enugu State High Court that recognizes the decision of South East PDP leaders that nominated Ude Okoye as substantive National Secretary to complete the remaining tenure created by the vacancy in the office by the resignation of Samuel Anyanwu as the National Secretary when he went to run for governorship,” the statement read.
“The Appeal Court has restated the principle of the PDP constitution that anyone elected to the executive committee of the party at any level may resign his or her office by giving 30 days’ notice in writing to the executive committee, except in cases of vying for an elective office which shall be effective within the period stipulated by NEC. The law has said that you should resign. When you choose to run for the election, you have chosen to resign.
“We thank the Appeal Court; the opposition lawmakers are one hundred percent with our new National Secretary, Ude Okoye.
“We support and accept the decision; the opposition lawmakers coalition is happy,” the statement concluded.
