The embattled National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Samuel Anyanwu, has raised alarm over what he calls an unlawful attempt to remove him from office, warning that such an effort will be “vehemently resisted.”
In a petition dated February 1, 2025, Anyanwu condemned the PDP Governors Forum for advising the National Working Committee (NWC) to implement a Court of Appeal ruling that recognized Sunday Ude-Okoye as the substantive National Secretary.
Anyanwu argued that this advice directly contradicts a pending appeal at the Supreme Court and an existing court order requiring all parties to maintain the status quo until the case is resolved.
He emphasized that the Court of Appeal had, on January 13, 2025, ordered both parties to preserve the current structure until the final determination of the case, which the law mandates they uphold.
He accused Ude-Okoye of unlawfully storming the party’s National Secretariat on January 29 with “hired thugs and bandits” to disrupt a Board of Trustees (BoT) meeting, despite not being a member.
Anyanwu described the action as a blatant disregard for the judiciary and the rule of law.
Anyanwu also alleged that Ude-Okoye’s sponsors were under criminal investigation for forging PDP guidelines to mislead the courts and secure fraudulent judgments.
In his petition, Anyanwu urged the police to intervene and prevent a crisis, warning that attempts to implement the governors’ advice would be “an invitation to chaos” and an affront to the judiciary.
Anyanwu maintains that he remains the validly elected National Secretary of the PDP until the courts rule otherwise and vowed to resist any efforts to remove him.
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His petition highlights the ongoing leadership crisis within the PDP, with divisions between the NWC and BoT.
The controversy stems from the Court of Appeal’s ruling in Enugu, which declared Ude-Okoye as the substantive National Secretary following Anyanwu’s departure to contest the 2024 Imo State governorship election.
Anyanwu’s appeal to the Supreme Court challenges this ruling, arguing that the judgment cannot be enforced until the final decision is made.
The PDP Governors Forum endorsed Ude-Okoye’s appointment after the Court of Appeal ruling and tasked the NWC with implementing it. Anyanwu’s resistance to this move has further escalated tensions ahead of the rescheduled National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on March 13, 2025.