Keep up with the latest news and be part of our weekly giveaways and airtime sharing; follow our WhatsApp channel for more updates. Click to Follow us

The ongoing leadership dispute over the position of the party’s national secretary continued to fester as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national secretariat reopened for business on Sunday following a 20-day Christmas and New Year break.

The National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, which the governors have mandated be held in the first week of February this year, was not included in the PDP’s schedule of events.

The Court of Appeal-mandated scribe, Sunday Ude-Okoye, maintained that he had a date with history, while Senator Samuel Anyanwu continued to assert his position as national secretary.

As far as the party was concerned, Anyanwu told ZINGTIE that nothing had changed during his tenure as National Secretary prior to the party’s December 20 break. He noted there were processes to any change in office.

According to Anyanwu, nothing has changed since the party’s break and the National Working Committee (NWC), of which he was a member, hasn’t convened since.

“I am the PDP’s National Secretary and Chief Accounting Officer. We are on break and the secretariat is closed. I wonder where and how it is said that I have been changed,” he said.

A letter explaining why the Court of Appeal’s ruling should be stayed until the Supreme Court’s decision was made was also sent by Anyanwu to the NWC, Board of Trustees, and NEC members.

In the letter titled “The Legal position on the Enugu Court of Appeal Judgement,” which was sent to the NWC, BoT, and NEC members, Anyanwu referenced legal precedence why the Court of Appeal judgement should be stayed.

He stated, “Please, regarding the appeal court judgement in Enugu on the issue of the office of the National Secretary, it is important you note the following: “In Nigeria, the general rule is that when an application for a stay of execution has been filed and is pending, the judgement cannot be enforced until the application is determined.

“According to the Nigerian Court of Appeal, in the case of OGBUNYANWA V. OKUDO (2013) LPELR20815(CA), ‘once an application for stay of execution is filed and pending, it operates as a bar to the execution of the judgement, pending the determination of the application.

“Similarly, the Nigerian Supreme Court, in the case of A-G . FEDERATION V. S.P.D C. NIG. LTD. (2014) LPELR-2314XSC), held that, ‘Where an application for stay of execution is pending, the judgement creditor is restrained from executing the judgement until the application is determined.’

“An exception to this general rule is when the application for stay of execution is deemed abandoned or withdrawn, then the judgement can be enforced. In this instance, my application for the stay of execution has been filed and pending in court for determination.

“In addition, the judgement has been appealed in the Supreme Court with case number assigned. I have not in any way shown a loss of interest in prosecuting the case, as a result my position as National Secretary of the party remains sacrosanct.

“Anybody or group of persons wishing to subvert this provision of the law is, therefore, cautioned to restrain from such. We are believed to be law-abiding citizens and should conduct ourselves with utmost decorum.”

On his part, Ude-Okoye said, “I have the Court of Appeal order in my favour and it is the second highest court in the country. I will keep date with history by assuming my position as the national secretary.”

As the party’s national secretary, Ude-Okoye went on to outline his agenda, promising to make sure that NEC meetings were held on time.

Regarding the Court of Appeal’s ruling against Anyanwu, he asserted that no court had granted a stay of execution.

Anyanwu claimed that he had appealed the Court of Appeal’s decision to fire him and that the stay would be granted within a week.

He claimed that legally, he would remain in office until the Supreme Court rendered a final ruling, explaining that the stay was postponed because of the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.

Ologunagba, on the other hand, disagreed, arguing that the Court of Appeal’s ruling was declaratory and that approval was required before an appeal could be taken to the Supreme Court.

In the meantime, there was no mention of a NEC meeting in the party’s 2025 Time-Table and Schedule of Activities, which was published by the Directorate of Organisation and Mobilisation in Abuja.

Please don’t forget to “Allow the notification” so you will be the first to get our gist when we publish it. 
Drop your comment in the section below, and don’t forget to share the post.