and Alex Enumah in Abuja

The Supreme Court has reserved judgement in the appeal by Senator Samuel Anyanwu against the judgement of the Court of Appeal, which sacked him as National Secretary of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

A five-member panel of the apex court led by Justice Uwani Musa Aba-Aji took the decision after parties adopted their written addresses as their arguments for and against the appeal.

The Court of Appeal sitting in Enugu had last December upheld a high court decision that sacked Anyanwu as PDP National Secretary.

The appellate court subsequently upheld Sunday Udeh-Okoye as substantive National Secretary of the party.

Besides, the appellate court issued a consequential order directing Udeh-Okoye to immediately act as National Secretary of PDP.

Dissatisfied, Anyanwu in January approached the apex court to set aside the judgement of the two lower courts and recognise him as the authentic National Secretary of PDP.

At Monday’s proceedings, Chief Paul Erokoro, SAN, who argued on behalf of the first respondent, Mr Aniagu Emmanuel, urged the court to dismiss the appeal and uphold the concurrent judgements of the two lower courts.

Adding that the apex court was clothed with necessary jurisdiction to entertain the case, Erokoro explained that the matter was concerned with the disobedience and disrespect for the constitution of PDP as well as the procedure for elections.

However, Chief Ken Njemanze, SAN, who represented Anyanwu, urged the court to allow the appeal and set aside the judgements of the Court of Appeal and Federal High Court, which sacked Anyanwu as PDP’s National Secretary.

Njemanze urged the apex court to be consistent with its position that the issue of leadership was not within the jurisdiction of any court. He said besides the issue of Sheriff, the apex court had in subsequent judgements held that a political party’s leadership was not justiciable.

After taking submissions from all parties in the appeal, Aba-Aji announced that judgement had been reserved to a date that would be communicated to parties.

Earlier, the apex court dismissed the application by Anyanwu seeking to halt the execution of the judgement of the Court of Appeal, which ordered his removal as National Secretary of PDP.

Meanwhile, the National Working Committee (NWC) of PDP will Thursday inaugurate the South-south caretaker committee.

In the statement by the national publicity secretary, Debo Ologunagba, the party said the inauguration was pursuant to its powers under the Constitution of the PDP (as amended in 2017).

Ologunagba said the inauguration was billed to hold at the National Executive Committee (NEC) Hall, PDP National Secretariat, Wadata Plaza, Abuja, at 11am.

”The South South Zonal Caretaker Committee, which assumed office on Monday, March 10, 2025 following expiration of the tenure of the South South Zonal Executive on Sunday, March 9, 2025 consists of the following members,” Ologunagba stated, as he listed those to be inaugurated.

He said members of the committee were Chief Emmanuel Ogidi, who will serve as Chairman, with Hon. Nicholas Ayuwa, Barrister Godwin Akpan Udonta, Mrs. Bekewei Ashanti, Idehen Ebomoyi, and Dame Vivian Ahanmisi as members.

Chief Damiete Herbert-Miller will serve as Secretary and Dr. Chris Uduoaka will serve Administrative Secretary, Ologunagba stated.