In a fresh twist to the deepening crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Supreme Court has declared Samuel Anyanwu, an ally of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike, as the party’s National Secretary.
The ruling, delivered on Friday by a five-member apex court panel, effectively quashes earlier decisions of lower courts that had sought to remove Anyanwu from office.
The judgment reinforces Wike’s growing influence within the PDP and deals a significant blow to rival factions seeking to wrest control of the party’s leadership structure.
Anyanwu’s legitimacy had been under intense dispute, with Sunday Ude-Okoye emerging as a formidable challenger.
Okoye had garnered significant backing from various power blocs within the PDP, citing a ruling from an Appeal Court in Enugu that affirmed Anyanwu’s removal following an earlier verdict by a Federal High Court.
However, in a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court ruled that matters related to the leadership or membership of a political party are strictly internal affairs and do not fall within the jurisdiction of the courts unless exceptional circumstances exist.
Reading the lead judgment, Justice Jamilu Tukur emphasised that the judiciary lacks the authority to interfere in the internal workings of political parties unless such interference is explicitly permitted by the Nigerian Constitution, involves a criminal offence, or entails a breach of contractual rights.
“The exceptional circumstances that would have given the Court jurisdiction to decide on the internal affairs of a political party are missing in this case,” the ruling stated.
The Supreme Court verdict comes against the backdrop of an escalating internal war within the PDP, which took a new turn on Tuesday with the Abia State chapter of the party expelling Adolphus Wabara, Chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees (BOT).
Abia PDP Chairman Abraham Amah issued a statement that the party’s State Working Committee (SWC) ratified Wabara’s expulsion after reviewing the findings of a disciplinary committee set up to investigate him.
“After a thorough review of the committee’s findings and recommendations regarding the expulsion of Senator Adolphus Wabara, the SWC unanimously approved the recommendation contained in the report,” the statement read.
The Abia PDP further called on the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) and National Executive Committee (NEC) to appoint a new BOT chairman immediately, citing Articles 57(3) and 59(1) of the PDP Constitution (2017 as amended).
Wabara’s removal is believed to be linked to his alleged endorsement of Labour Party Governor Alex Otti’s second-term bid, which infuriated powerful interests within the PDP.
While the PDP’s NWC initially reversed his suspension, declaring it “unconstitutional, null, and void,” the Abia State chapter ignored the directive and proceeded with his expulsion.
The Wabara saga also ties into the broader power struggle between Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike over control of the PDP in Rivers State.
Wike has been vocal in his criticism of Wabara’s leadership of the BOT, recently stating in a television interview that he would have “disowned” him if they were related.
Responding to Wike’s verbal attack, Wabara dismissed the former governor’s comments as “undignified.”
“I will expect a man of his calibre and status to mind his language and words. But I don’t want to join issues with Wike and dignify him,” he stated.
