By Gabriel Achadu
The National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Senator Samuel Anyanwu has vowed to resume office today, at the Party’s National Secretariat after the Christmas and New Year holidays
Recall that the Court of Appeal in Enugu earlier on December 20, 2024, had ruled in favour of the nomination of former PDP National Youth Leader, Sunday Ude-Okoye, as replacement for Senator Samuel Anyanwu as national secretary. The decision of the Appeal Court came on the heels of Senator Anyanwu emerging as the PDP governorship candidate in Imo State. Ude-Okoye was nominated as replacement for Anyanwu by the South East caucus of the PDP, a move described as alien to the constitution of the PDP by stakeholders.
In a press statement by Ikenna Onuoha the Special Adviser, Media to the PDP National secretary on December 20, 2024, he described the sack of Senator Anyanwu as “fake, misleading, and mischievous”, and ” a designed ploy by desperate politicians to divert attention” insisting that Senator Anyanwu remains the National Secretary of PDP till December, 2025 irrespective of the court judgment citing an earlier judgment, “no court of competent jurisdiction within Nigeria or beyond can sack Senator Anyanwu from office. This is because there is a subsisting Court judgement restraining individuals, groups, or parties from laying claim or further challenge to his position as National Secretary of PDP”.
Sources within the PDP revealed to Daybrwak Nigeria that two PDP Governors, national publicity secretary, Barrister Debo Ologunagba, as well as chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees, Senator Adolphus Wabara, are behind the plot to remove Samuel Anyanwu.
The soirces further revealed that there is no part of the PDP Constitution that compels any of its officers vying for non-party political office, to resign his party position before contesting for political office.
Citing sections 47 (5) and 48 (1) of the PDP constitution the sourced revealed that National officers of the party were elected for a term of four years and the terms of their removal from office are clearly spelt out. He noted that contesting for a political office does not qualify for removal from office, as the constitution only said the officer, “May resign, not shall, it is discretionary in anycase he didn’t win the election and has not assumed any other office. Before Samuel Anyanwu, several serving PDP officers had contested for other political offices without resigning their party position. For instance, under Ologunagba’s watch, his deputy, Ibrahim Abdullahi, contested for the PDP guber ticket in Kebbi State, and is back in office without Ologunagba or any other party officer calling for his removal why is the case of Anyanwu different?”
He insisted that Senator Anyanwu was within his legal rights to continue in office as the national secretary of the PDP as any opposition would only lead to the final implosion of the party
