January 25, (THEWILL) — Since the Federal High Court in Abuja, on Tuesday, dismissed a suit filed by Senator Samuel Anyanwu, a former National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), seeking judicial recognition as the party’s scribe, only one side to the dispute has been in jubilation.
The patent silence from the camp led by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, is no longer effective. Justice Mohammed Umar had struck out the case after Anyanwu’s counsel informed the court that his client’s tenure expired in December 2025, rendering the matter academic.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/254/2025, was originally filed against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and former acting PDP National Chairman, Umar Damagun. Anyanwu had sought interim injunctions restraining INEC from acting on PDP correspondence not signed by him and barring Damagun from transmitting party documents without his countersignature. The court later joined the PDP, Sunday Udeh-Okoye, Dr Ali Odela and Mr Setonji Koshoedo as additional defendants.
When the matter was called, Anyanwu’s counsel, U.C. Njemanze-Aku, applied to withdraw the case, saying it had been overtaken by events following the expiration of his client’s tenure. In his ruling, Justice Umar dismissed the suit but declined to award costs.
However, two other pending suits are yet to be discharged at the Appeal Court before any real jubilation can take place by either camp. These are the pre- Ibadan National Convention judgement by the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Friday on October, 31, 2025 and the High Court in Oyo State ruling on November 5, 2025.
While delivering judgement in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/ CS.21/20/25, Justice James Omotosho ordered that the convention be halted until the party complies with the statutory requirements of its own constitution, the Nigerian Constitution, and the Electoral Act.
The judge also restrained INEC from accepting or recognising the outcome of any PDP national convention that is not conducted in accordance with due process, the law and INEC’s own regulations.
But the Oyo court granted an order to the party to go ahead with its convention slated for November 15 and 16. Justice Ladiran Akintola who directed the PDP leadership to adhere strictly to the guidelines, timetable and schedule of activities earlier released for the convention also directed INEC to attend, monitor and observe the conduct of the convention in line with the Electoral Act.
When the case challenging the Kabiru Turaki-led leadership came up for hearing at a Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday, January 23, 2025, the court adjourned the hearing in the suit to February 20, pending the determination of an appeal before the Court of Appeal. The plaintiffs, Mohammed Abdulrahman and another, are seeking an order of injunction restraining Turaki and his group from parading themselves as representatives of the PDP in any capacity whatsoever.
At the resumed hearing, defence counsel, Chris Uche (SAN), applied for the withdrawal of the defendants’ application for stay of proceedings, which was not opposed by plaintiffs’ counsel, Onyeachi Ikpeazu (SAN). The trial judge subsequently struck out the application.
Uche informed the court that the record of appeal had already been entered at the appellate court, urging the trial judge to adjourn the matter to allow the Court of Appeal determine the appeal. He argued that once a record of appeal is entered, the trial court is divested of jurisdiction to continue hearing the suit. However, Ikpeazu objected, contending that the defence request was not supported by an affidavit of facts and should therefore be declined. In his ruling, Justice Abdulmalik agreed with the submissions of the defence counsel and adjourned the matter to February 20, pending the outcome of the appeal.
Meanwhile, the High Court ruling has been greeted with more than a sigh of relief by party officials in Zamfara, Plateau and Oyo states, who have celebrated the judgement as a vindication of the Supreme Court ruling on the supremacy of the party in the management of its affairs.
A former Presidential aide and party chieftain, Umar Sani, said the dismissal of Samuel Anyanwu’s suit by Justice M. G. Umar of the Federal High Court, Abuja, marks a defining legal and political moment for the party.
In a statement posted on X, Sani said the development had far-reaching implications for party autonomy, judicial restraint and the role of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. According to Umar, the immediate parties, the judgment reinforces a settled but often contested constitutional principle.
Arguing that the ruling aligns squarely with recent Supreme Court judgements, notably Julius Abure vs Nenadi Usman (LP) and INEC vs SDP, where the apex court restated, in unambiguous terms, that leadership disputes within political parties are strictly internal matters, Umar stated that the courts have consistently warned INEC against the temptation to choose sides or confer legitimacy when internal party mechanisms are already in motion, stressing that Justice Umar’s decision sits firmly within this jurisprudential trajectory.
He said, “Crucially, the judgment also validates the long-standing concerns raised by the Kabiru Tanimu Turaki-led PDP leadership regarding judicial impartiality. “The court not only dismissed Anyanwu’s claims but also underscored three fatal flaws: lack of jurisdiction over internal party affairs, abuse of court process through multiple parallel litigations, and the effluxion of Anyanwu’s tenure, having been elected in 2021.”
The implications for INEC are equally significant. Until now, the commission had adopted a posture of non-recognition, citing “factionalisation” within the PDP a claim repeatedly denied by the Turaki-led leadership. “INEC had maintained that it was awaiting a court order to guide its actions. That order has now arrived. With Senator Anyanwu’s claims delegitimised, his status as a co-signatory to party documents collapses entirely,”
From Oyo State comes Ambassador Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo, who congratulated party leaders and members nationwide following the dismissal of the suit, describing the development as a reaffirmation of the party’s institutional strength and internal resilience.
“The PDP has once again demonstrated that it is bigger than individuals and stronger than temporary internal disagreements,” Ajadi said, adding that, “This moment marks a restoration of clarity, stability and confidence in our party’s leadership structures.”
He noted that the court’s decision, coupled with previous judicial pronouncements on the matter, has helped to consolidate the PDP’s democratic culture and respect for due process. The Plateau State chapter of the party’s State Publicity Secretary, Dr Choji Felix Dalyop, said the court’s decision unequivocally affirmed the party’s constitutional powers to manage its internal affairs and enforce disciplinary measures in accordance with its constitution.
The State Party Chairman, Chief Raymond Dabo, urged all party members, supporters, and the general public to disregard any claims to the contrary and remain focused and steadfast in pursuing the party’s collective goals.
Zamfara state acting chairman, Hassan Daudawa, said the ruling “has encouraged party followers at all levels and strengthened confidence in the PDP’s internal processes”. The leadership crisis over the PDP national secretary position began when Anyanwu vacated the office to contest the 2023 Imo governorship election, which he lost.
On December 20, 2024, the Court of Appeal in Enugu upheld an earlier Federal High Court judgment removing Anyanwu and affirming Udeh-Okoye as the authentic national secretary. However, in March 2025, the Supreme Court declared the leadership crisis as internal affairs of the PDP. Setoni Koshoedo soon joined the fray to also lay claim to the position.
A year later in December 2025, however, a faction of the PDP, backed by the FCT minister of the national working committee (NWC) , set up a caretaker panel. Abdulrahman Mohammed was appointed as chairman, with Anyanwu as secretary. The caretaker panel was constituted following the expiration of the tenure of the PDP NWC elected in October 2021.
In November, another group in the party backed by PDP governors, including Bala Mohammed of Bauchi and Seyi Makinde of Oyo, held a convention and elected new NWC members with Kabiru Turaki as chairman. During the convention, the party expelled Wike and his allies, including former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose and party members Anyanwu, Bature and Ajibade, among others.
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
