The Supreme Court has overturned the December 22, 2024, majority judgment of the Court of Appeal in Enugu, which had dismissed 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, unanimously ruled that both the High Court of Enugu State and the Court of Appeal in Enugu lacked the jurisdiction to hear the case.
In his judgment, Justice Jamilu Tukur affirmed that the matters raised in the suit filed by Emmanuel Aniagwu in the Enugu State High Court pertained to internal PDP affairs, which are non-justiciable and beyond the reach of the courts. Justice Tukur further held that Anyanwu’s participation in the Imo State governorship election as the PDP candidate was sanctioned by the party’s leadership, contrary to Aniagwu’s claims.
Justice Tukur also ruled that Aniagwu lacked the necessary standing to bring the suit, as he failed to demonstrate any personal injury or how Anyanwu’s actions had directly impacted him, calling him a "busy body" and "interloper." Additionally, Justice Tukur noted that S. K. E. Ude-Okoye, the individual who could have potentially benefited from the case, was not included as a party in the lawsuit.
The Supreme Court affirmed the minority judgment of the Court of Appeal, delivered by Justice Ekanem, which held that the case should not have been heard due to the lack of jurisdiction. The apex court subsequently struck out the suit filed by Aniagwu in the Enugu State High Court. This ruling clears Anyanwu of any wrongdoing and reinstates his position as the National Secretary of the PDP.
