The National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Samuel Anyanwu, resumed duty today at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja in defiance of the court orders that had removed him from office.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a High Court and Court of Appeal had removed Mr Anyanwu from office and recognised Sunday Udey-Okoye as the party’s national secretary.
Mr Anyanwu, speaking with reporters in his office shortly after the resumption of duty, said he was in office because he had appealed the judgements that removed him.
“Last December, precisely the 20th of December, the Appeal Court in Enugu took a dissenting judgment.“As a matter of fact, what the law says is that I should appeal, and I appealed the matter, appeal for a stay of execution, an appeal to the Supreme Court.
Obviously, what it means is that the position will remain as it is until it is determined by the Supreme Court.
“Today is our resumption day,” Mr Anyanwu said.
He described the comment made by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, that the PDP had recognised Mr Udey-Okoye as the national secretary as his personal opinion, not that of the PDP.
“He (Ologunagba) only made a statement, and as the national publicity secretary of my party, I will not want to disparage him in the media.
“Maybe he didn’t get the facts correct, or probably he never knew that the matter had been appealed and that it’s in the Supreme Court.
“He’s a lawyer, so he should understand that that is the position of the law,” he said.
Mr Anyanwu, urged party members to be strong, firm and united, adding that the PDP could rescue power in 2027 if they worked together as a team.
Any act or person that dares to undermine my position and duty as the National Secretary will not be condoned.”
Referring to the Appeal Court judgment in Enugu concerning the National Secretary position, Anyanwu clarified: “In Nigeria, the general rule is that when an application for a stay of execution has been filed and is pending, the judgment cannot be enforced until the application is determined.”
