Court restrains PDP from sacking Anyanwu as national secretary

Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Friday, restrained the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from removing Senator Samuel Anyanwu as national secretary pending the hearing and determination of the substantive matter.

The judge gave the order in an ex-parte motion moved by two members of the PDP – Geoffrey Ihentuge and Apollos Godspower.

A copy of the judgement was made available to journalists on Friday.

The PDP acting National Chairman, Umar Aliyu Damagun, the National Executive Committee (NEC), the National Working Committee (NWC), and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were listed as respondents in the suit.

The motion was brought pursuant to Order 26, Rules 2 and 6; Order 28, Rules 1 and 2 of the FHC (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2019, and under the inherent jurisdiction of the court.

READ ALSO: PDP’s Anyanwu alleges vote buying, violence in Imo election

The plaintiffs had in the motion filed by their lawyer, Joshua Musa (SAN), asked the court to restrain the respondents from carrying out the threat to remove the national secretary.

They also sought an order restraining the PDP and its executives from preventing Anyanwu from discharging his functions as an elected national officer as contained in Article 36(1) of the party’s constitution, among other reliefs.

Justice Ekwo granted the prayers and adjourned the matter till December 4 for a hearing of the motion on notice.

Anyanwu was the PDP candidate in the November 11 governorship election in Imo State.

The party’s NWC had on November 14 asked Anyanwu to step aside and directed Setonji Koshoedo to take over as acting national secretary.

Until his appointment, Koshoedo was the deputy national secretary.

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