From Victor Osula, Abuja
The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Tuesday, dismissed a suit filed by Senator Samuel Anyanwu, a former National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), seeking judicial recognition as the party’s scribe.
Justice Mohammed Umar struck out the case after Anyanwu’s counsel informed the court that his client’s tenure expired in December 2025, rendering the matter academic.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/254/2025, was originally filed against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and former acting PDP National Chairman, Umar Damagun. Anyanwu had sought interim injunctions restraining INEC from acting on PDP correspondence not signed by him and barring Damagun from transmitting party documents without his countersignature. The court later joined the PDP, Sunday Udeh-Okoye, Dr Ali Odela and Mr Setonji Koshoedo as additional defendants.
When the matter was called, Anyanwu’s counsel, U.C. Njemanze-Aku, applied to withdraw the case, saying it had been overtaken by events following the expiration of his client’s tenure.
However, counsel to the defendants urged the court to dismiss the suit and award costs, arguing that the action should not have been instituted.
In his ruling, Justice Umar dismissed the suit but declined to award costs.
“Since you have joined issues, I am going to dismiss this matter. The matter is hereby dismissed”, the judge ruled, adding that the circumstances were beyond the control of the parties and therefore did not warrant costs.
The leadership crisis over the PDP national secretary position began when Anyanwu vacated the office to contest the 2023 Imo governorship election, which he lost. His efforts to reclaim the position sparked internal disputes, with Sunday Udeh-Okoye emerging as a rival claimant.
On December 20, 2024, the Court of Appeal in Enugu upheld an earlier Federal High Court judgment removing Anyanwu and affirming Udeh-Okoye as the authentic national secretary. However, in March 2025, the Supreme Court declared the leadership crisis as internal affairs of the PDP.
Despite the apex court ruling, divisions persisted within the party, prompting Anyanwu to institute fresh legal action in Abuja. Tuesday’s ruling effectively brings the prolonged legal battle over the PDP national secretaryship to a close.
