By Akinwale Kasali
After months of prolonged legal battles between Senator Samuel Anyanwu and Sunday Ude-Okoye over the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP’s, National Secretary position, the Supreme Court has declared Anyanwu, a close ally of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, the authentic National Secretary of the PDP.
In a unanimous judgment delivered on Friday, a five-member panel of the Apex Court overturned the appellate court’s decision.
Justice Jamilu Tukur, who delivered the lead judgment, stated that leadership or membership disputes within a political party fall under its internal affairs and do not warrant judicial intervention unless specific exceptional circumstances exist.
The Supreme Court outlined these exceptional circumstances, which would have granted jurisdiction, as cases where the Nigerian Constitution explicitly provides for Court intervention, instances of criminal offenses, or violations of contractual rights.
Since none of these applied in the PDP secretaryship dispute, the Apex Court ruled in favor of Anyanwu.
The judgment effectively reinstates Anyanwu as the PDP National Secretary, resolving months of internal strife within the opposition party.
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