The Federal High Court in Abuja has issued an order preventing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from proceeding with any action regarding the removal of Senator Samuel Anyanwu from his position as the National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
On Monday, February 24, Justice Inyang Ekwo gave the directive after the PDP and Udeh-Okoye Enemchukwu, whom the party has appointed as its new secretary, requested to be included as parties in the legal dispute.
Anyanwu had initially petitioned the court, asking it to halt INEC from recognising his removal.
His legal counsel, Ken Njemanze, SAN, filed a motion seeking to prevent the electoral body from acknowledging any PDP documents that were not signed by him.
He also sought a restraining order against the party’s Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagun, prohibiting him from submitting any paperwork to INEC without his endorsement.
READ ALSO: Rivers PDP Crisis Deepens as Court Ruling Sparks Leadership Tussle
Earlier, instead of immediately granting the request, the court instructed Anyanwu to serve notice to INEC and Damagun, allowing them to present their responses before a decision was made.
During Monday’s proceedings, INEC’s lawyer, Ahmed Mohammed, acknowledged receiving all court documents but admitted that the commission had not submitted a response as instructed.
Instead, INEC filed a counter-affidavit challenging the case’s validity.
Justice Ekwo criticised the commission’s approach, stating, “INEC has not given any tangible reason to show cause, but rather filed a process that goes to the substance of the matter.”
He then issued a directive preventing INEC from taking any steps that could impact the ongoing case.
Meanwhile, Udeh-Okoye’s lawyer, Paul Erokoro, SAN, along with PDP’s counsel, Paul-Harris Ogbole, SAN, informed the court that they had filed separate motions to be included as defendants in the case.
Anyanwu’s lawyer confirmed receiving these applications but stated that his response deadline had not yet expired.
The judge scheduled the hearing for February 28 to address all pending applications, emphasising that the matter would be handled with urgency.
“The first and second defendants are ordered not to take any action that contradicts the applicant’s prayers,” Justice Ekwo ruled.
Notably, PDP Acting Chairman Damagun, despite being served with the court documents, did not have a legal representative present during the proceedings.
Separately, the Supreme Court has scheduled a March 10 hearing for an appeal Anyanwu filed to challenge his removal.
A five-member panel, led by Justice Ibrahim Saulawa, has prioritised the case for expedited hearing.
Last December, the Court of Appeal in Enugu upheld an earlier ruling that dismissed Anyanwu and recognised Udeh-Okoye as the legitimate PDP National Secretary.
The appellate court ruled that Anyanwu’s continued tenure violated the PDP Constitution, as he had contested and secured the party’s governorship ticket for Imo State in the last election.
Unhappy with the lower court’s decisions, Anyanwu escalated the matter to the Supreme Court, seeking to overturn the rulings.
Meanwhile, the PDP’s Board of Trustees (BOT) and National Working Committee (NWC) have officially endorsed Udeh-Okoye’s appointment in compliance with the judicial verdicts.
Anyanwu has, however, rejected their decision, maintaining that the matter remains unsettled in court.