The Supreme Court has reinstated Senator Samuel Anyanwu as the National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), overturning the decision of the Appeal Court, Enugu Division.
In a unanimous judgment, a five-member panel of the apex court ruled that issues concerning the leadership or membership of a political party fall under internal party affairs and should not be subject to judicial intervention.
The decision nullifies the earlier ruling of the Federal High Court in Enugu, which had affirmed Anyanwu’s removal following a suit filed by Aniagwu Emmanuel.
Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Jamilu Tukur stated that the Federal High Court lacked jurisdiction to hear the case, as the necessary exceptional circumstances were not present.
The court clarified that such circumstances include cases where the Nigerian Constitution explicitly grants jurisdiction, when a crime has been committed, or when contractual rights have been violated.
Additionally, the Supreme Court pointed out that the failure to include Sunday Udeh Okoye as a party to the case meant that Aniagwu Emmanuel lacked the legal standing to file the suit in the first place.
