By Suleiman Anyalewechi
The Court of Appeal has, finally, sacked the National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, popular as Samdaddy. He was sacked on Friday, December, 20, 2024.
Anyanwu’s sack has been hailed by the Coalition of Opposition Lawmakers at the National Assembly.
The Coalition expressed satisfaction with the Appeal Court sack of Anyanwu as the Secretary of the PDP.
A statement from the Coalition Leader, Hon Ikenga Ugochinyere, described the development as representing a new dawn for the troubled PDP.
According to the statement, Justice Rilwan Abdullahi, in the lead judgment by the Enugu Appeal Court panel, declared Rt Hon Ude Okoye as the authentic National Secretary of the Party.
The Appeal Court justices, also ordered Okoye to complete the remaining tenure of Samuel Anyanwu, following his exit to participate in the November 11,2023 ,Imo State Gubernatorial race.
The Source reports that Anyanwu was the PDP flag bearer in the election that also featured Governor Hope Uzodinma of the All Progressive Congress APC, Senator Athan Achonu of the Labour Party, LP, and others.
APC’s Governor Uzodinma won the election to secure his second term in office.
However, for failing to quit his position as the National Secretary of the PDP after securing the party’s gubernatorial ticket, Anyanwu was subsequently dragged to a Federal High Court sitting in Enugu.
The High Court earlier had declared null and void the continued claim of Anyanwu as the National Secretary. The High Court also recognized Okoye as the rightful National Secretary after being duly nominated by the South East Caucus to replace Anyanwu.
The Appeal Court, in affirming the earlier decision of the High Court ,described the continued claim of Anyanwu as the Secretary, even after clinching the PDP Imo gubernatorial ticket as a grave violation of the party’s Constitution.
Subsequently, the Appellate Court ,dismissed his (Anyanwu’s ) appeal against the judgment of the High Court for lacking in merit .
The Coalition of opposition party Lawmakers ,in its statement expressed total agreement with the Appeal Court verdict.
“We want to salute the courage of the Appeal Court to have ended this madness by first of all upholding the judgment of the High Court Enugu that recognizes the decision of South East PDP leaders that nominated Ude Okoye as the substantive National Secretary to complete the remaining tenure created by the vacancy in the office by the resignation of Samuel Anyanwu as the National Secretary when he went to run for governorship.
The Appeal Court has restated the principle of the PDP’s Constitution that anyone elected to the executive committee of the party at any level may resign his or her office by giving 30 days notice in writing to the executive committee, except in cases of vying for an elective office which shall be effective within the period stipulated by NEC.
“The law has said that you should resign. When you choose to run for the election, you have chosen to resign.
“We thank the Appeal Court. The opposition law makers are one hundred percent with our National Secretary Ude Okoye”, the statement noted.
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