INEC Urges Court To Dismiss Anyanwu’s Suit As PDP’s Scribe

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has urged a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja to dismiss the suit filed by the embattled Senator Samuel Anyanwu challenging his removal as National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

In its counter-affidavit filed on March 7, INEC stated that the dispute should be deferred pending when the Supreme Court resolves an appeal on the matter.

INEC stressed in its affidavit that correspondence from political parties must be signed by both the National Chairman and National Secretary in line with its regulations.

The electoral body specifically said that the court’s jurisdiction does not extend to internal party matters.

This was as Chief Udeh-Okoye Enemchukwu, who was endorsed by the various organs of the PDP as replacement for Anyanwu, stressed that the embattled former National Secretary automatically forfeited his position having being nominated as the PDP’s gubernatorial candidate in Imo State in 2023.

Udeh-Okoye while referencing the PDP constitution, noted that Anyanwu’s candidacy breached the rules, necessitating his resignation, adding that the PDP’s Board of Trustees had raised concerns over the constitutional violation in October 2023.

The legal battle over the position of the National Secretary of the PDP, stemmed from a series of court judgements with the Court of Appeal in Enugu validating a High Court decision that sacked Anyanwu and accorded recognition to Udeh-Okoye the National Secretary.

The embattled Anyanwu had filed an appeal before the Supreme Court, seeking to overturn the rulings.

Having listened to the arguments of the parties, Justice Inyang Ekwo, adjourned the case to March 25, 2025 to address all preliminary objections before the substantive suit will be heard.