The Court of Appeal sitting in Enugu has upheld a High Court ruling that nullified Samuel Anyanwu as the National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The Court of Appeal also upheld Ude Okoye as the substantive National Secretary of the main opposition party.
In its sitting on Friday, the Court, in a lead judgment delivered by Justice Ridwan Abdullahi, described Anyanwu‘s claim to the PDP’s secretary position after he contested and emerged as PDP governorship candidate violated the party’s constitution and his appeal lacked merit.
Reacting to the ruling, Ideato North/ South House Representatives member, Imo Ikenga Ugochinyere, described the ruling as a victory for democracy.
In a statement on Friday afternoon, Ugochinyere noted that the ruling upheld PDP’s constitution.
The spokesman for the Opposition Lawmakers Coalition added that the group would support Okoye to ensure success in his tenure.
“We want to salute the courage of the Appeal Court to have ended this madness by first of all upholding the judgment of Enugu State High Court that recognizes the decision of South East PDP leaders that nominated Ude Okoye as substantive national secretary to complete the remaining tenure created by the vacancy in the office by the resignation of Samuel Anyanwu as the National secretary when he went to run for governorship.
“The Appeal Court has restated the principle of PDP constitution that anyone elected to the executive committee of the party at any level may resign his or her office by giving 30 days’ notice in writing to the executive committee, except in cases of vying for an elective office which shall be effective within the period stipulated by NEC. The law has said that you should resign. When you choose to run for the election, you have chosen to resign.
“We thank the Appeal Court; the opposition lawmakers are one hundred percent with our new National secretary Ude Okoye
“We support and accept the decision, the opposition lawmakers coalition is happy,” it read.