By Gideon Njoku
A pressure Group within the Imo State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, known as Imo Critical Stakeholders, has urged the National Chairman of the Party, Ambassador Illya Damagun, not to allow the National Secretary of the Party, Samuel Anyanwu, popular as Sam Daddy, be the Secretary during the National Executive Council, NEC, meeting scheduled for Thursday, April 18 at the Abuja Headquarters of the Party.
The Group, in a letter addressed to the National Acting Chairman, signed by its Chairman, Professor Obioma Iheduru, and copied to the Presidential Candidate of the Party in the 2023 Presidential Election, Atiku Abubakar, BoT Chairman, Dr Adolphus Wabara, and Chairman PDP Governors Forum, Senator Bala Mohammed, Governor of Bauchi State, said it would be illegal for Anyanwu to sit as the National Secretary of the Party at the NEC meeting. It insisted that if allowed, it would have serious unsavoury implications for the Party.
Reason: The Group said Anyanwu has since been removed as the National Secretary of the Party by a competent Court.
The Group: “A cursory and a sincere look at events of the recent past would invariably reveal that it will amount to a senseless political jamboree if Senator Samuel Nnaemeka Anyanwu is allowed to sit and record the proceedings of that meeting in a non-existent capacity as the National Secretary of PDP.”
It continued: “Let us recall that an Enugu high court presided over by Justice C. O. Ajah, while ruling on a motion on notice filed by Nwabueze Ugwu seeking to declare Anyanwu’s seat vacant, compelled the national chairman of PDP and others concerned, to recognize Hon Sunday Ude-Okoye as the candidate recommended by the South East Zonal Executive Committee of the PDP to replace sacked Anyanwu.”
It expressed shock that ” the acting national chairman and the NWC never heeded to this ruling of a court of competent jurisdiction like the Enugu high court. The acting national chairman and his NWC members rather chose to obey another order of an Abuja federal high court which barred the PDP from sacking the erstwhile national secretary”
But it argued that: “For the purpose of clarification, it must be stated here that whenever two courts of concurrent jurisdiction issue orders on the same subject matter, it is binding on the entity concerned to obey the first order. The Enugu high court that sacked Anyanwu sat on October 24, 2023, while the Abuja federal high court that gave him judgement was in session on January 9,2024. A state high court and a federal high court are co-equal.”
On the implications for the Party if Anyanwu is allowed to be Clerk, the Group noted:
“The PDP has by itself become a lawless group that chooses and picks which court orders to obey.
*”If Anyanwu clerks that meeting the fate of PDP canadidates he endorses are already jeopardised and will provide legal armour for our political opponents.
*”Let it be known that if Senator Anyanwu records the proceedings of that meeting, the decisions and resolutions arrived at in the said meeting will be rendered null and void and of no effect, going by the Enugu State high court judgement earlier cited.
*” Should thus happen, it may lead to a barrage of legal actions that may invariably paralyze the activities of PDP in the ensuing months.”
Following is the full text of the letter dated April 16, 2024:
“Imo PDP Critical Stakeholders
Port Harcourt Road,
Owerri.
April 16, 2024
“Acting National Chairman,
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),
Wadata Plaza,
Abuja.
Attn: Amb. Illya U Damagun
“Sir,
“Illegality and consequences of Sen Samuel Anyanwu clerking the NEC April 18, 2024 meeting
“We are excited that the much awaited meetings of the National Working Committee (NWC), in conjunction with the National Executive Committee (NEC) of our great party are now billed for Thursday, April 18, 2024. By available records, it is now exactly 19 months since the NEC last met and that was as far back as September 8, 2022.
“Legally, this is a gross violation of section 31 (4) (5) of the constitution of the PDP 2017 (as mended), which stipulates that NEC shall meet at least once every quarter at the instance of the national/ acting chairman or at the request of 2/3 of its members.
“Taken together, therefore, we commend all our leaders who must have fought courageously towards making these April 18 meetings a possibility.
“A cursory and a sincere look at events of the recent past would invariably reveal that it will amount to a senseless political jamboree if Senator Samuel Nnaemeka Anyanwu is allowed to sit and record the proceedings of that meeting in a non-existent capacity as the national secretary of PDP.
” Let us recall that an Enugu high court presided over by Justice C. O. Ajah, while ruling on a motion on notice filed by Nwabueze Ugwu seeking to declare Anyanwu’s seat vacant, compelled the national chairman of PDP and others concerned, to recognize Hon Sunday Ude- Okoye as the candidate recommended by the South East Zonal Executive Committee of the PDP to replace the sacked Anyanwu.
“Shockingly, the acting national chairman and the NWC never heeded to this ruling of a court of competent jurisdiction like the Enugu high court. The acting national chairman and his NWC members rather chose to obey another order of an Abuja federal high court which barred the PDP from sacking the erstwhile national secretary.
“For the purposes of clarification, it must be stated here that whenever two courts of concurrent jurisdiction issue orders on the same subject matter, it is binding on the entity concerned to obey the first order. The Enugu high court that sacked Anyanwu sat on October 24, 2023 while the Abuja federal high court that gave him judgement was in session on January 9,2024. A state high court and a federal high are co-equal.
“Again, it is trite legal knowledge that whenever a matter has been adjudicated on, the constitutional path to tow is for the other party to go on appeal. Regrettably, Senator Anyanwu and his co – travellers never followed this road of honour, legality, and constitutionalism. Rather, they decided to tear our judiciary into shreds by still going to the same federal high court rather than heading for the court of appeal.
“Since the Enugu high court’s judgement which sacked Anyanwu as PDP national secretary has not yet been vacated by a superior court, we, therefore, make bold to state that it is a clear case of abuse of court processes by Senator Anyanwu to sit in that meeting.
“The deleterious consequences thereof are:
“(1)The PDP has by itself become a lawless group that chooses and picks which court orders to obey.
“2.If Anyanwu clerks that meeting the fate of PDP canadidates he endorses are already jeopardised and will provide legal armour for our political opponents,
“(3) Let it be known that if Senator Anyanwu records the proceedings of that meeting, the decisions and resolutions arrived at in the said meeting will be rendered null and void and of no effect, going by the Enugu state high court judgement earlier cited.
“4. Should this happen, it may lead to a barrage of legal actions that may invariably paralyze the activities of PDP in the ensuing months.
“In conclusion, we, the Imo PDP Critical Stakeholders, hereby call on the Acting National Chairman and other members of NEC not to allow Senator Samuel Anyanwu to sit-in and act as national secretary of the party for the April 18 NEC meeting or any meeting thereafter in that capacity, if the party must still remain relevant in political dynamics of Nigeria.
“Signed:
Prof Obioma Iheduru
0806 369 7500
Chiarman, Imo PDP Critical Stakeholders.
“Copy:
- HE, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, National Leader, PDP
- Dr Adolphus Wabara, Chairman, BoT, PDP,
- HE Senator Bala Mohammed, Chairman, PDP Governor’s Forum”
The Imo PDP Critical Stakeholders is presumed to be strongly pro-The Rt. Honourable Emeka Ihedioha and very strongly anti-Senator Samuel Anyanwu.
Members have never been in support of Anyanwu’s position in the Party, and have continuously opposed his stay. He is accused of alleged sabotage of the Party which, they insist, has led to the bad performance of the Party in the State, and the exit of many Party members.
