The Supreme Court has thrown out an appeal by Samuel Anyanwu seeking to halt the execution of a judgment that sacked him as the National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), marking a significant legal blow to his position within the party.
In a dramatic turn at the hearing on Monday, March 10, 2025, Anyanwu, through his lawyer, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Kingsley Njemanze, opted to withdraw the application to stay the Court of Appeal’s ruling that removed him from office. Following his request, Justice Musa Awani Aba-Aji dismissed the appeal, solidifying the appellate court’s previous decision.
The legal battle began when the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal sitting in Enugu ruled against Anyanwu, upholding his removal as the PDP’s National Secretary. The Court of Appeal, in a judgment delivered by Justice Ridwan Abdullahi in December 2024, affirmed Chief Sunday Ude-Okoye as the legitimate occupant of the position.
Anyanwu had challenged the ruling at the Supreme Court, arguing that his removal was politically motivated. However, the appellate court held that he violated the PDP constitution by attempting to hold onto the position after contesting as the party’s governorship candidate in the 2024 Imo State election.
Despite seeking an accelerated hearing at the apex court, Monday’s proceedings saw Anyanwu backing down, allowing the execution of the lower court’s judgment to proceed.
