A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered Senator Samuel Anyanwu to submit a Supreme Court ruling within seven days to support his claim of being reinstated as the National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The ruling was made by Justice Inyang Ekwo after Anyanwu’s lawyer, Chief Ken Njamanze (SAN), argued that the Supreme Court had resolved the legal battle over the PDP National Secretary position.

The conflict began when lower courts ruled against Anyanwu, stating that his tenure as National Secretary ended after he contested the 2023 Imo State governorship election. These courts recognized Rt. Hon. Udeh-Okoye Ememchukwu as the rightful National Secretary.

In December, the Court of Appeal in Enugu upheld an earlier High Court ruling that removed Anyanwu, citing the PDP Constitution. According to Article 47(5), any party official seeking an elective position must resign first. Since Anyanwu contested for governor, he was considered to have automatically left his role.

Following his removal, the PDP’s Board of Trustees (BOT) and National Working Committee (NWC) backed Udeh-Okoye as the new National Secretary.

Unhappy with these rulings, Anyanwu took his case to the Supreme Court, seeking to overturn the decisions. Last Friday, a five-member panel of Supreme Court Justices ruled that lower courts had no jurisdiction over internal party matters. This judgment led to both Anyanwu and Udeh-Okoye claiming victory.

In response, Udeh-Okoye argued in court that Anyanwu’s removal was valid and that his own appointment followed due process. He explained that PDP’s South East leadership nominated him after Anyanwu’s departure.

With both sides standing firm, the legal battle continues. Justice Ekwo has scheduled April 28 for a final judgment after reviewing all arguments. Until then, Anyanwu must present the Supreme Court ruling to back his claim.