A High Court sitting in Enugu State has compelled the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to replace Senator Samuel Anyanwu as the PDP’s National Secretary.
Senator Anyanwu is the party’s gubernatorial candidate for the coming Imo State election.
The order was granted while ruling in a motion on the notice filed by Nwabueze Ugwu seeking that the court declare Senator Anyanwu’s seat vacant.
The court ordered the defendants in the suit—the PDP National Chairman, the National Vice Chairman, and the PDP National Secretary, South-East—to recognize Sunday Udeh-Okoye as the candidate recommended by the South-East Zonal Executive Committee to replace the Senators pending the outcome of the motion on notice.
Justice C.O. Ajah, the presiding judge, held that the motion on notice was brought under Order 38 Rule 1 and Order 39 Rule 1 of the High Court Rules of Enugu State 2020, supported by a 23-paragraph affidavit deposed to by the applicant.
Justice Ajah ordered as follows:
“That an Interim Order is hereby granted as prayed.
“That the 2 Defendant/Respondent is hereby ordered to recognize within 24 hours of the service of this order on him, HON. S.K.E. UDEH-OKOYE (the person recommended by the South East Zonal Executive Committee of the 1” Defendant /Respondent; pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.
This further stated that the order would lapse after seven days from the day the order was issued, per the rule of the court.
The matter was adjourned to October 30 for the hearing.
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP), South-East Zone, unanimously nominated Hon. Sunday Udeh-Okoye, the former PDP National Youth Leader, as the new party National Secretary last weekend.
Chief Ali Odefa, the party’s National Vice Chairman, South-East Zone, who, after the meeting, read a communiqué, explained that the decision was to allow Senator Anyanwu to concentrate on his electioneering campaign in the state.
