There is renewed tension among staff of the national secretariat of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as the party resumes from vacation on Monday.
This is as the two claimants to the seat of national secretary, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu and Sunday Ude- Okoye, have remained hell bent on resuming office. However, former Senate President and the Chairman, Board of Trustees of the party, Senator Adolphus Wabara, has advised the National Working Committee, NWC, to obey and comply with the Appeal Court’s judgment which sacked Senator Samuel Anyanwu, and affirmed Ude Okoye as the national secretary of the party. A High Court and a Court of Appeal had both declared Ude-Okoye as the party’s substantive national secretary, a position Senator Anyanwu is challenging at the Supreme Court.
The Appellate Court, while reaffirming Ude Okoye’s claim to the seat , ruled that Anyanwu’s decision to remain in office after emerging as the PDP’s gubernatorial candidate in Imo State during the 2023 elections was an aberration. Anyanwu, who is basing his refusal to vacate office on the fact that he had filed for a stay of execution and his pending appeal at the Supreme Court, insists he remains in office until the Supreme Court rules.
However, Ude-Okoye, armed with the two court judgement affirming his position, has been announced as national secretary as attested by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba. Ologunagba said: “We have received the judgment of the Court of Appeal that affirmed S. K. E. Udo-Okoye, as national secretary of PDP. “We, as a party, are bound by that judgment because it’s the highest judgment to date. And we will take appropriate action as a party. We are part of a responsible political party to ensure that that decision of the law is compiled with.”
Party staff who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, expressed fears for their safety, while hoping, however, that the deployment of security officials as promised would deter trouble makers. One of those spoken to said: “The tussle between the Anyanwu and Ude-Okoye over this position is beyond the two individuals involved. It is about the rule of law. “We don’t know what will happen tomorrow (today) because I hear the two of them want to come with their supporters and you know what that means. “There cannot be two captains in one ship, there is only one office, there can’t be two national secretaries occupying it at the same time. ”
Another one said: “Well, I’m not a lawyer and like most of us here, we are ready to work with anyone elected to occupythe office. “I know the court has pronounced Okoye but Anyanwu is still in court. As a lay man, I think it is only a final decision by the Supreme Court that can settle this matter.” Ude-Okoye, who was last sighted at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, last Thursday, told reporters he had taken over and was prepared to breathe new life into the party’s administrative processes.
Obey court judgment affirming Okoye as PDP scribe, BoT chair, Wabara tells NWC Meanwhile, former Senate President and the Chairman, Board of Trustees of PDP, Senator Adolphus Wabara, has advised the National Working Committee, NWC, of the party to obey and comply with the Appeal Court judgment which sacked Senator Samuel Anyanwu, and affirmed Ude Okoye as the National Secretary of the party. According to him, the execution of the judgment “cannot be stayed” but only challenged in a superior court, hence, the need for the party to simply comply as a party that respects the rule of law.
The BoT chairman, who gave the advice in an exclusive interview with Vanguard weekend, said the party also “has respect for its constitution.” Recall that the Court of Appeal sitting in Enugu, had on December 20, 2024,
upheld a High Court ruling that sacked Sen. Anyanwu as the National Secretary of the PDP, and upheld Okoye as the party’s substantive National Secretary. In a lead judgment delivered by Justice Ridwan Abdullahi, the court described Anyanwu‘s claim to the PDP’s secretarishp position, after he contested and emerged as PDP governorship candidate, as a violation of the party’s constitution and that his appeal lacked merit Senator Wabara commended the judiciary for the judgment which, he said, had lent credence to the position of South East PDP on the matter.
The former Senate president, who said he had always advocated that the party’s constitution should not be flouted for whatever reason, advised all parties to abide by the judgment. He explained that the nature of the judgment “is such that it does not entertain stay of execution” but could only be challenged in a superior court. Wabara said: “ The judgment affirming Ude Okoye as PDP national secretary is a welcome judgment. It further lends credence to the decision of South East PDP on the issue. We had always contended that the party’s constitution must be obeyed, and the Appeal Court judgment has just affirmed that.
Advises NWC to comply “Since PDP is a party that obeys the law, and believes in constitutionality, we should obey this court order. As the BoT chairman of the party, I want to request of the NWC of our party to obey that judgment. “ If at sometime in the future there is a counter court judgment, we won’t have any option but obey it. Such counter-judgment must come from a superior court, and the Supreme Court in this circumstance. “ So, we should allow the change to take place, and when there is a counterjudgment from the Supreme Court, then the party will also obey it.
Cautions against any move for stay of execution
“ I want to make it very clear; I have consulted widely on this and found that the issue of stay of execution does not come in here. One can only challenge the judgment but not stay the execution because that judgment is a declaratory judgment. “ In law, the execution of a declaratory judgment cannot be stayed. It can only be challenged in a higher court.
You cannot stay action on declaratory judgment. “I will, therefore, advise those going to court for a stay of execution not to waste their money on that. They should apply their money appropriately towards the Supreme Court, and not to cause problem here and there, thinking that once you appeal against a judgment, it is automatic stay of execution. ‘
’That does not apply here because declaratory judgment does not entertain stay of execution”. Senator Wabara, who expressed confidence that PDP would bounce back as the ruling national party in 2027, appealed to members of the party to put its interest above parochial interests. He called for unity and peace among party faithful, adding that Nigerians were waiting for PDP to restore their hope.
Peoplesmind
