The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has assured the public of its commitment to obeying a Court of Appeal directive regarding the position of its National Secretary. The order, which prevents the party from appointing anyone to replace Senator Samuel Anyanwu, was addressed in a press briefing on Friday in Abuja.
Speaking during the conference, tagged “Just so the PDP may have a breather,” Ibrahim Abdullahi, the party’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary, emphasized that the PDP is bound to respect the rule of law. “Accordingly, we are obliged, as a law-abiding party, to respect the order of the court,” Abdullahi said.
The court order stems from a series of legal proceedings concerning the authentic National Secretary of the PDP. On Wednesday, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Maitama issued an interim injunction preventing the party from recognizing Setonji Koshoedo, the Deputy National Secretary, as the substantive National Secretary. This injunction was filed by Imo PDP Chairman, Austine Nwachukwu, through his legal counsel, Clement Mue.
The legal developments escalated further on Thursday when the Court of Appeal in Abuja issued a stay of execution order concerning a previous judgment by the Court of Appeal, Enugu Division.
The appellate court’s ruling, issued on December 20, 2024, had implications for Anyanwu’s role, which is now temporarily protected by the new injunction. The current order bars the PDP or any of its leaders from removing Anyanwu or appointing another person as National Secretary until the Supreme Court hears the case.
In addition, the court explicitly restrained Koshoedo or any other individual from performing the functions of the National Secretary without directives from Anyanwu. These functions include issuing notices for meetings or signing official documents.
Abdullahi clarified the PDP’s stance, stating that Senator Anyanwu remains the National Secretary until the matter is resolved by the Supreme Court. He urged party members to remain calm and law-abiding while awaiting the court’s final judgment. “Where there is an appeal, it only behooves on the appellant to wait until the determination of the appeal. That is the position of law,” Abdullahi noted.
Abdullahi also addressed his role in delivering the briefing, explaining that he was authorized by Umar Damagum, the party’s acting National Chairman, to speak on the matter. He pointed out concerns regarding recent actions of the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, who had issued statements on behalf of the National Working Committee (NWC) without proper clearance.
