Sowumi, PDP Frontiers back Anyanwu as National Secretary
By Tunde Opalana
As interpretation of Friday’s judgement by the Supreme Court on the tussle for the office of the National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) continues, a party chieftain, Segun Sowumi and a pressure group within the party have backed Senator Samuel Anyanwu as authentic scribe of the party.
Sowumi, one of the spokespersons for the PDP, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, in 2023 said Senator Samuel Anyanwu, by all indication is the party’s scribe while the PDP Frontiers blamed those who wrongly interpreted the apex court judgement as undertakers who wanted to further plunge PDP into crisis.
On Monday while featuring on Arise TV’s Morning Show, Sowunmi said as a party chieftain who is abreast of developments in the PDP in recent times and pronouncements of the courts including that of the apex courts, Anyanwu is PDP National secretary.
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He said “by the decision of the Supreme Court today, Anyanwu is the National Secretary. If the NWC considers the judgment now that they have been given powers that it’s an internal affair, then when we get to that bridge, we will cross it.
“I think that for the sanity of the nation, especially for the integrity of the party, it’s totally wrong that one member of the NWC will jump the gun and not wait for the orders before taking the position, however right he may think his position is.
“You can do the right thing in the wrong way, and in this instance, he’s wrong.
“The court said the appeal succeeds and the reliefs sought by Anyanwu are granted. If he is celebrating that relief, it’s correct to do so.
“The court then gave us another window by saying that ‘parties were under a lot of constraints to take decisions in the best interest of matters before us.’
“In my opinion, without taking over the duties of the Governors’ Forum, the BoT, and the NWC, and in understanding that judgment, Samuel Anyanwu is the Secretary of the party.”
The PDP Frontiers berated what it described as needless proxy war against Anyanwu as targeting towards wrecking the party.
The body said if care is not taken, the ongoing proxy war within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the needless war against the party’s authentic National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu may wreck possibilities of proper preparations for the 2027 general elections, a PDP pressure group, the PDP Frontliners has warned.
In a statement on Sunday, PDP Frontiers insinuated that PDP members planning to leave the party for a coalition platform are deliberately misinforming the public about the Supreme Court verdict that affectively reinstated Senator Samuel Anyanwu as PDP National Secretary, so as to continue a needless fight and further destabilize PDP before they take their exit.
The Frontiers in the statement signed by Alhaji Hussein Mohammed (President), Mr. Moses Abidemi (Secretary) and Mr. Dan Okafor (Publicity Secretary), emphasised that last Friday’s Supreme Court judgement was an explicit invalidation of two lower court judgements being used as excuse to prop up Hon Sunday Udeh-Okoye as a claimant to Senator Anyanwu’s position.
“What Supreme Court said last Friday was that the two lower court judgements are invalidated; those two judgements were the basis for justifying a meeting of the 25 South East PDP stakeholders who propped up Udeh-Okoye in effort to try to replace Senator Anyanwu who was elected at a national convention of the PDP almost four years ago.
“The entrenched forces’ determination to continue fighting Senator Anyanwu is well reflected in ongoing efforts to mislead the public by saying that the core decision of the Supreme Court last Friday was merely that political parties should determine their leadership.
“Besides, Senator Anyanwu was not the only member of PDP National Working Committee who temporarily sought leave to go and contest in their states and seamlessly returned to their position at PDP National secretariat: it has happened before and it is not against our constitution but the proxy war against Anyanwu has blinded them.
“What is valid and subsisting now is the judgment of the Supreme Court delivered in favour of Senator Samuel Anyanwu.
“By the decision of the Supreme Court which all persons and authorities are bound to comply with by virtue of the provisions of Section 287 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), Senator Samuel Anyanwu remains the legitimate secretary of the PDP,” they asserted.
According to the PDP Frontliners, those who want to leave for their coalition elsewhere should proceed rather than cause a prolonged and needless challenge against Senator Anyanwu who had never left PDP for any other political party since 1999.
The Supreme Court judgment in Appeal No: SC/CV/18/2025: Senator Samuel Anyanwu v. Aniagu Emmanuel unanimously set aside the majority decision of the Court of Appeal and affirmed the dissenting judgment of Hon. Justice Ekanem, JCA; the Supreme Court also struck out the suit filed by Aniagu Emmanuel at the Enugu State High Court for want of jurisdiction.
The Supreme Court held that the issue for determination in the matter filed by Aniagu Emmanuel at the Enugu State High Court touch and concern leadership position in the Peoples Democratic Party i.e. the position of National Secretary of the said political party and therefore, that the issue of leadership being an internal affair of the PDP, the Enugu State High Court and the Court of Appeal lacked jurisdiction to entertain the said suit.
