Abuja, Friday – The Supreme Court has overturned the December 22, 2024, majority judgment of the Court of Appeal in Enugu, which had sacked Senator Samuel Anyanwu as the National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
A five-member panel of the apex court, led by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji, ruled unanimously on Friday that both the High Court of Enugu State and the Court of Appeal in Enugu lacked jurisdiction to hear the case.
Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Jamilu Tukur stated that the suit filed by Emmanuel Aniagwu at the High Court of Enugu State involved internal party affairs, which are non-justiciable and beyond the jurisdiction of any court.
Justice Tukur further ruled that Anyanwu’s candidacy in the last Imo State governorship election was endorsed by the PDP leadership, contradicting Aniagwu’s claims. The court also held that Aniagwu lacked the locus standi (legal standing) to file the case, as he failed to demonstrate any personal harm or direct impact from Anyanwu’s actions. Justice Tukur described Aniagwu as a “busybody and an interloper.”
Additionally, the court noted that S. K. E. Ude-Okoye, who stood to benefit from the case, was not included as a party in the suit. The Supreme Court upheld the minority judgment of Justice Ekanem of the Enugu Court of Appeal, who had ruled that the case lacked jurisdiction.
In conclusion, the apex court struck out Aniagwu’s suit for want of jurisdiction, effectively reinstating Anyanwu as the PDP National Secretary.
