The Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit filed by Samuel Anyanwu, who sought recognition as the national secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Presiding judge Mohammed Umar struck out the suit on Tuesday after Anyanwu’s lawyer, U. C. Njemanze‑Aku, informed the court that his client’s tenure as PDP national secretary had expired in December 2025.
In the suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/254/2025, Anyanwu had requested the court to restrain the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and PDP chairman Umar Damagum from accepting, acting on, or giving effect to any correspondence from the party not signed by him.
When the matter came up for hearing on Tuesday, Anyanwu’s counsel said the case had been overtaken by events and requested withdrawal.
“In the interest of justice, I apply to withdraw this matter to save the time of the court,” he told the bench.
INEC’s counsel, Akintayo Balogun, argued that the suit should not have been filed in the first place and requested dismissal with N1 million costs.
“The suit ought not to have been instituted,” Balogun submitted.
Damagum’s lawyer, M. O. Akpan, supported INEC’s submission.
After hearing arguments from all parties, Judge Umar dismissed the case without awarding costs.
“Since you have joined issues, I am going to dismiss this matter. The matter is hereby dismissed,” the judge ruled.
The PDP national secretary position has been the center of a longstanding dispute, with Anyanwu, Sunday Udeh-Okoye, and Setonji Koshoedo each claiming the office.
In December 2025, a faction of the PDP, backed by Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), dissolved the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) and established a caretaker panel. Abdulrahman Mohammed was appointed chairman, with Anyanwu as secretary.
This caretaker panel was formed following the expiration of the NWC elected in October 2021.
In November, a faction supported by PDP governors, including Bala Mohammed of Bauchi and Seyi Makinde of Oyo, held a convention and elected a new NWC with Kabiru Turaki as chairman. During the convention, the Wike faction, Anyanwu, and several others were expelled.
The Wike group rejected the expulsion, forming a parallel NWC, Board of Trustees (BoT), and National Executive Committee (NEC). In turn, the Wike faction also expelled members of the Makinde-led faction, deepening the party’s internal crisis.
