Court Dismisses Samuel Anyanwu’s Suit as He Concedes He Is No Longer PDP National Secretary

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has dismissed the suit filed by former National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Samuel Anyanwu, in which he sought judicial recognition as the authentic occupant of the party’s national secretariat office. The dismissal effectively brings to an end a long-running legal and political tussle that has deepened internal divisions within Nigeria’s main opposition party.

The ruling was delivered on Tuesday by Justice Mohammed Umar, following an application by Anyanwu himself to withdraw the case. The former PDP scribe informed the court that the matter had been overtaken by events, as his tenure as National Secretary had expired in November 2025, making the continuation of the suit unnecessary.

Anyanwu had approached the Federal High Court in Abuja last year, asking the court to affirm him as the legitimate National Secretary of the PDP. His suit was anchored on the party’s decision to recognise Mr Sunday Udeh-Okoye as his replacement, a move he challenged vigorously. The dispute traces its roots to Anyanwu’s resignation from the position in order to contest the 2023 governorship election in Imo State under the PDP platform.

After losing the election, Anyanwu made moves to return to his former office, arguing that his resignation was temporary and tied solely to his governorship ambition. However, his attempt was met with stiff resistance from sections of the party leadership, particularly those who supported the appointment and later ratification of Udeh-Okoye as substantive National Secretary.

The matter soon found its way into the courts, with both the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal sitting in Enugu delivering judgments in 2024 that effectively sacked Anyanwu and affirmed Udeh-Okoye as National Secretary. Those decisions appeared to settle the issue until the Supreme Court intervened.

In a landmark ruling, the apex court set aside the judgments of the lower courts, not on the merits of who should occupy the office, but on jurisdictional grounds. The Supreme Court held that the courts ought not to have ventured into what it described as the internal affairs of a political party, including disputes over party offices. That judgment reopened the legal door for Anyanwu, who promptly returned to court to revive his claim.

Relying on the Supreme Court’s decision, Anyanwu filed an application at the Federal High Court, Abuja, seeking to amend his originating processes to properly frame the issues for determination. In May 2025, Justice Inyang Ekwo granted the application but not without penalising Anyanwu with a fine of ₦150,000 for what the court described as actions that stalled the speedy determination of the matter.

Before Justice Ekwo could conclude hearing in the suit, the case was reassigned to Justice Mohammed Umar. When the matter came up before the new trial judge on November 5, 2025, Justice Umar again granted Anyanwu leave to amend his originating summons, this time imposing a further cost of ₦30,000 in favour of all the respondents.

Those listed as respondents in the suit included the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the PDP itself, the party’s acting National Chairman, Ambassador Iliya Damagum, Udeh-Okoye, former PDP South-East Vice Chairman Ali Odela, and former Deputy National Secretary Setonji Koshoedo.

The court subsequently adjourned the case to January 20, 2026, for hearing. However, when proceedings resumed on that date, Anyanwu’s lead counsel, K. C. Njemanze, SAN, informed the court that his client had decided to withdraw the suit. According to the senior advocate, Anyanwu was no longer the PDP National Secretary, as his tenure had formally expired in November 2025.

Njemanze attributed the development partly to delays inherent in the judicial process and urged the court to strike out the suit to avoid wasting judicial time. He argued that continuing with the matter would serve no practical purpose, given the changed circumstances.

Lawyers to the respondents opposed a mere striking out of the suit, contending that issues had already been joined and that the proper order to make was one of dismissal. Justice Umar agreed with the respondents and dismissed the suit accordingly. However, the judge declined to award costs against Anyanwu.

The dismissal marks another chapter in the PDP’s prolonged internal crisis, particularly over party leadership and control of key organs. While some party members view the outcome as an opportunity for the PDP to move forward and stabilise, others see it as yet another reminder of the deep fractures that continue to undermine the party’s cohesion and effectiveness as an opposition force.

With Anyanwu’s legal challenge now laid to rest, attention is expected to shift to whether the PDP can resolve its lingering leadership disputes internally and reposition itself ahead of future electoral contests, or whether fresh crises and court battles will once again take centre stage.