PDP Leadership Denies Threat to Remove National Secretary, Anyanwu; Court Reserves Judgment

The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has refuted claims that it threatened to oust Senator Samuel Anyanwu as its national secretary. The party’s leaders presented their stance before Justice Inyang Ekwo at the Federal High Court in Abuja through a counter affidavit filed on December 7 by the law firm of Ganny Ajape & Co.

Contrary to assertions made in the plaintiffs’ affidavit, including Paragraphs 21(d), (e), and (f), the PDP leaders, including Umar Damagun (Acting National Chairman), National Executive Committee (NEC), and the National Working Committee (NWC), clarified that there was no intention to remove or declare the office of the National Secretary vacant.

The court had, on November 23, issued an order preventing the PDP from removing Anyanwu as national secretary until the substantive matter is heard and determined. This followed an ex-parte motion by Dr. Joshua Musa, SAN, on behalf of party members Geoffrey Ihentuge and Apollo’s Godspower.

The plaintiffs had sued the PDP, Damagun, the NEC, NWC, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). They sought an interim injunction against the threat to remove Anyanwu, arguing that he was duly elected and entitled to remain in office until December 9, 2025.

In their counter affidavit, the PDP leadership, represented by Jeremiah Joel, a litigation secretary, maintained that the NWC had approved the deputy national secretary to act in place of the national secretary in line with the party’s constitution.

Responding to the plaintiffs’ argument, they stated that Anyanwu had applied for leave of absence to focus on his election as a candidate for the Imo governor’s office, held on November 11. They refuted any threats to the national secretary, asserting that instead, they granted him leave of absence for the said election.

At the resumed hearing, only INEC was not represented in court. The court reserved judgment to be communicated to the parties after counsel’s adoption of their processes. Senator Anyanwu was the PDP candidate in the November 11 Imo governorship election, where Sen. Hope Uzodinma of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was re-elected.

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