ABUJA—The leadership crisis bedeviling the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has shifted to the courtrooms as party members await ruling on a motion for stay of execution filed by the party’s National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, at the Appeal Court.

Anyanwu filed the motion to prevent the enforcement of an Appeal Court decision upholding his removal from office by a High Court in Enugu.
Vanguard gathered in Abuja, yesterday, that barring any last minute change, the Court of
Appeal will rule on Anyanwu’s motion today.

An Appeal Court sitting in Enugu had on December 20, 2024, upheld an earlier decision of a High Court removing Senator Anyanwu as PDP national secretary and in his place, affirmed Sunday Ude-Okoye as the right and proper person.

In response, Anyanwu filed for a stay of execution and appeal, with Dr. J.Y. Musa, SAN, nominated as the party’s legal counsel by PDP’s acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, his ally.

The choice of chambers of Dr. J Y Musa SAN and Co., as representatives of PDP’s National Working Committee, NWC, and National Executive Committee, NEC, in the matter has sharply divided the party.

Specifically, 11 out of the 17 members of the National Working Committee have disowned Damagum, and Anyanwu, who are believed to have unilaterally selected the external legal team without the knowledge or consent of other NWC members, especially the party’s National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade SAN.

Recall that PDP’s acting National Chairman, Damagum, in a letter dated December 20, 2024, appointed the chambers of Dr. J Y Musa SAN and Co., as legal representatives of the party in a Supreme Court Appeal No: CA / E/ 23/2024: Senator Samuel N. Anyanwu Vs. Aniagwu Emmanuel and 3 Ors.

He claimed to have engaged Musa on behalf of the party’s NWC and the National Executive Committee, NEC.
However, his colleagues in the NWC, including the Deputy National Chairman (South), Amb. Taofeek Arapaja, the National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba and the National Treasurer, Alhaji Yayari Ahmed, and others denied Damagum’s claims by writing a letter of their own to the President of the Appeal Court dissociating the party from Anyanwu’s appeal.
Vanguard