Court Dismisses Anyanwu’s Suit Seeking Recognition as PDP National Secretary

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Tuesday dismissed a suit filed by Senator Samuel Anyanwu, a factional National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, seeking official recognition as the party’s scribe.

Justice Mohammed Umar struck out the suit after it was established that Anyanwu’s tenure as PDP National Secretary expired in December 2025, rendering the matter academic.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/254/2025, was instituted against the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and a former Acting National Chairman of the PDP, Umar Damagun, as first and second defendants.

In an ex-parte application dated February 13, 2025, Anyanwu, through his counsel, Ken Njemanze, sought interim orders restraining INEC from recognising or acting on any PDP correspondence not signed by him, pending the determination of a motion for interlocutory injunction.

He also asked the court to bar Damagun from forwarding any PDP correspondence to INEC that was not countersigned by him.

However, on February 28, 2025, the court joined the PDP and Sunday Udeh-Okoye as third and fourth defendants, while Dr Ali Odela, the PDP National Vice Chairman (South-East), and Mr Setonji Koshoedo, the party’s Deputy National Secretary, were added as fifth and sixth defendants.

When the case was called, counsel to Anyanwu, U. C. Njemanze-Aku, informed the court that his client’s tenure as PDP National Secretary had elapsed in December 2025, adding that events had overtaken the suit.

“In the interest of justice, I apply to withdraw this matter to save the time of the court,” he said.

Responding, counsel to INEC, Akintayo Balogun, argued that the suit ought not to have been instituted and urged the court to dismiss it with a cost of N1 million.

Counsel to Damagun, M. O. Akpan, as well as lawyers representing the fourth and sixth defendants, also aligned with the request for dismissal and asked for costs of N1 million each.

Opposing the requests, Njemanze-Aku argued that the withdrawal was due to circumstances beyond the control of the plaintiff and urged the court to direct parties to bear their respective costs.

After hearing arguments, Justice Umar dismissed the suit without awarding costs.

“Since you have joined issues, I am going to dismiss this matter. The matter is hereby dismissed,” the judge ruled.

On the issue of costs, he added that the situation was not caused by any of the parties and therefore did not warrant an award of costs.

The dispute over the PDP National Secretary position began after Anyanwu vacated the office to contest the 2023 Imo State governorship election, which he lost. His attempt to return to the position triggered internal party disagreements, with Sunday Udeh-Okoye laying claim to the office.

On December 20, 2024, the Court of Appeal in Enugu upheld an earlier Federal High Court judgment that removed Anyanwu and recognised Udeh-Okoye as the PDP’s National Secretary. Anyanwu appealed to the Supreme Court, which in March 2025 overturned the lower courts’ decisions and reinstated him.

Despite the apex court’s ruling, leadership disputes persisted within the PDP, prompting Anyanwu to file a fresh suit at the Federal High Court seeking to enforce his position.

In November 2025, Justice Umar granted his application to amend the originating summons but awarded costs of N30,000 in favour of each defendant before adjourning the matter for hearing.