By Suleiman Anyalewechi
A Federal Capital Territory High Court has threatened to initiate contempt charges against the duo of the National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC Prof Joash Amupitan ,and the National Secretary of the Nyesom Wike-backed faction of the Peoples Democratic party PDP, Senator Samuel Anyanwu should they continue to disregard its valid orders.
In a notice of consequences of disobedience of Court order dated Monday April 20, 2026, the Court in Form 48 warned that the duo risk imprisonment if they continue to disobey its judgment of January 12, 2026, relating to the internal and leadership crisis within the PDP.
“Take notice that unless you stop further disobedience and comply forthwith/obey the judgment/order of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, made on the 12th of January 2026, which dismissed the suit of Senator Samuel N Anyanwu challenging his expulsion from the Peoples Democratic party PDP, you will be guilty of contempt and you will be liable to be committed to prison”, the court notice reads.
The Source reports that the PDP, on the strength of the reports and recommendations of the Chief Tom Ikimi-led National Disciplinary Committee NDC, suspended and later expelled Anyanwu and others over alleged gross anti-party activities and misconducts.
Their expulsion was formally executed at the November 14 and 15, 2025, National Convention of the PDP in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital.
However, Anyanwu, then National Secretary of the PDP under the Iliya Damangun-led National Executive Committee, NEC, approached the FCT High Court seeking the nullification of his purported suspension and expulsion.
Senator Anyanwu, in the suit marked FCT/HC/CV/1050/2025, also sought an order of the Court setting aside both the reports of the NDC and his purported expulsion.
But Justice Halilu, in his ruling on January 12, 2026, while dismissing Anyanwu’s appeal for lacking in merit ,held that the matter before the court was non-justiciable as it was within the internal affairs of the party.
The FCT High Court warning is coming on the heels of demands by the Tanimu Turaki-led faction of the PDP for INEC to withdraw its recognition of Anyanwu as the Secretary of the party.
The faction in a strongly-worded letter last week , addressed to the electoral umpire , warned that it will not hesitate to initiate contempt charges should the INEC continue to ignore a valid subsisting court order.
The Turaki-led faction in its petition drew attention to the FCT High Court ruling of January 12 ,2026, which affirmed the suspension and expulsion of Anyanwu from the PDP.
The party emphasized that the disciplinary action against Anyanwu and others was sequel to the reports and recommendations of the NDC of March 10, 2025.
In the petition signed by its legal team led by Abdulaziz Ibrahim, SAN, the Turaki-led faction argued that the implication of the expulsion and its judicial affirmation is that Anyanwu has long seized to be a member of the party and, therefore, can no longer act on behalf of the party in any capacity whatsoever.
According to the faction, Anyanwu being very aware of the implications of the judicial affirmation of his suspension and expulsion, only decided to file an appeal just a few days ago ( April 10,2026) after almost three months of the court’s verdict.
“By implication, the judgment of the court dismissing his case challenging his expulsion is subsisting, and remain in force, and the Commission has the constitutional obligation to enforce, comply and implement the judgment even without prompting”, the PDP stated.
But in its reaction ,the Wike-backed PDP faction , while denying the suspension and expulsion of Anyanwu and others, insisted that the appeal filed at the Appellate court on April 10 ,was done in error ,and will soon be withdrawn.
In a statement on Saturday April 18, 2026, from its spokesperson, Hon Jungudo Haruna, the faction,also, noted that the legal action instituted by Anyanwu is not in connection with his purported expulsion, but originated from a case filed at a Federal High Court in Abuja.
According to the party, the said motion on notice is challenging the competence and proceedings of the Ikimi-led NDC.
It explained.that the NDC reports and recommendations were never at any point deliberated on and ratified by the National Working Committee NWC of the party.
“The recommendations had no binding effect and no valid suspension existed at any time ” Haruna stated
The Wike-backed PDP emphasized that the FCT High Court presided over by Honourable Justice Halilu did not affirm any expulsion or suspension ,but rather dismissed Anyanwu’s suit on the ground that the matter falls under the internal affairs of the party and therefore non-justiciable.
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