Again, Supreme Court declares Wike’s ally, Anyanwu, as PDP National Secretary
By OUR REPORTER
Weeks after giving a judgement that favoured Bola Tinubu’s Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, this heightening the political crisis in Rivers State, the Supreme Court of Nigeria has declared Samuel Anyanwu, a strong ally of FCT minister, as the National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Wike has continued claim membership of the PDP although he and his camp members including the 27 lawmakers involved in the Rivers State crisis are evidently working for All Progressives Congress (APC), the party of President Tinubu.
His major grouses against Ibikunle Amosun and Rochas Okorocha in recent times were on accusation of anti-party that he is now gingered to encourage in a bit to kill the PDP and his supporters hail him on it saying, “it is knowing how to play politics”.
On the PDP battle, Anyanwu and Sunday Ude-Okoye have been locked in a fierce battle for the National Secretary position, causing division among the party stakeholders.
However, Ude-Okoye gathered support from different blocs of the party who based their action on the ruling of an Appeal Court sitting in Enugu.
The appellate court had affirmed the removal of Anyanwu by a Federal High Court in Enugu.
However, in a unanimous judgment on Friday, a five-member panel of the Apex Court said matters bordering on the leadership or membership of a political party is its internal affair and should not be the business of a court.
In the lead judgment read by Justice Jamilu Tukur, the Supreme Court said the exceptional circumstances that would have given jurisdiction for the Court to decide on the internal affairs of a political party were missing.
These exceptional circumstances as stated by the Court are: if the Nigerian Constitution gives the Court such jurisdiction, when there is the commission of a crime or violation of contractual rights.
The National Secretary position became a contentious issue after Anyanwu left to contest the Imo governorship eelction which he lost.
After losing the election, efforts to reclaim his seat as the secretary threw the party into crisis.
An Appeal Court sitting in Enugu had on December 20, 2024, upheld an earlier decision of a High Court removing Senator Anyanwu as the PDP National Secretary and affirming Ude-Okoye as the authentic secretary.
Anyanwu, however, filed for a Stay of Execution and Appeal.
