The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has claimed that the Supreme Court’s judgment on Friday confirms Rt. Hon. SKE Udeh-Okoye as the rightful National Secretary of the party.
On Friday, the Supreme Court nullified the judgments that had removed Senator Anyanwu as National Secretary, ruling that the lower courts had wrongly intervened in the party’s internal affairs.
A five-member panel led by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji ruled that both the Enugu High Court and the Court of Appeal had erred in their decisions. In the lead judgment written by Justice Jamilu Tukur, the apex court emphasized that political parties must manage their own affairs, unless they violate their constitution or principles of fairness, justice, and equity.
Additionally, the court ruled that Aniagu Emmanuel, the plaintiff who brought the case, lacked legal standing to challenge the PDP’s internal decisions. As a result, all previous rulings against Anyanwu and Udeh-Okoye’s appointments were vacated due to lack of jurisdiction.
However, in a dramatic shift, the PDP said the judgment affirmed Udeh-Okoye as the authentic national secretary of thr aprty.
In a statement issued by the PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, the party emphasized that the Supreme Court’s decision reinforces that leadership matters within the PDP are internal affairs, beyond the jurisdiction of the courts.
“Today’s judgment of the Supreme Court reaffirms the party’s position and decisively settles the emergence of Rt. Hon. SKE Udeh-Okoye as the substantive National Secretary of the PDP. This follows his due nomination, endorsement, and ratification through the internal mechanisms of the PDP’s statutory organs, in accordance with the party’s constitution, the statement read.
While the judgment clarifies the party’s position on the National Secretary dispute, it has sparked ongoing debates within the party.
Different factions continue to interpret the ruling to fit their respective interests, suggesting that the internal divisions may persist.
The leadership dispute began following Senator Samuel Anyanwu’s nomination as the PDP’s governorship candidate for the November 2023 election in Imo State. At its 576th meeting on October 11, 2023, the NWC instructed the South East Zonal Executive Committee to nominate a replacement.
On October 20, 2023, the South East Zonal Executive Committee passed a resolution to nominate Udeh-Okoye for the position, and this was approved by the NWC at its 577th meeting on November 7, 2023.
Udeh-Okoye’s nomination received endorsements from the Board of Trustees (BoT), the PDP Governors’ Forum, and other key party organs.
It was also communicated to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
