The Supreme Court has overturned the December 22, 2024, majority judgment of the Court of Appeal in Enugu, which had removed Senator Samuel Anyanwu as the National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
In a unanimous decision delivered on Friday, a five-member panel of the apex court, presided over by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji, ruled that both the High Court of Enugu State and the Court of Appeal in Enugu lacked the jurisdiction to have entertained the case.
Justice Jamilu Tukur, in his lead judgment, emphasized that the suit filed by Emmanuel Aniagwu at the Enugu State High Court revolved around the internal affairs of the PDP, which are non-justiciable and outside the jurisdiction of the courts.
Justice Tukur further clarified that Anyanwu’s involvement in the 2023 governorship election in Imo State as the PDP candidate was in line with the approval of the party’s leadership, contrary to Aniagwu’s claims. He also found that Aniagwu did not have the legal standing (locus standi) to file the suit, as he failed to demonstrate how Anyanwu’s actions had personally harmed him, describing Aniagwu as a “busybody” and an “interloper.”
The judgment also pointed out that S.K.E. Ude-Okoye, who might have been the beneficiary of the case, was not made a party to the suit.
Justice Tukur affirmed the minority judgment of the Court of Appeal in Enugu, delivered by Justice Ekanem, which held that the court lacked the necessary jurisdiction to hear the case.
In conclusion, the Supreme Court struck out the suit filed by Aniagwu for lack of jurisdiction, effectively restoring Anyanwu to his position as the PDP National Secretary.
