Justice M. G. Umar of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has dismissed a suit filed by Senator Samuel Anyanwu challenging his removal as National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/254/2025 — Sen. Samuel Anyanwu v. INEC & Ors, Anyanwu sought an order restraining the PDP from removing him from office and barring the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from accepting or acting on any party documents not bearing his signature.
He anchored his claims on a previous Supreme Court judgment which held that his continued stay in office was an internal affair of the party.
In dismissing the suit, Justice Umar held that the claims were incompetent and lacking merit.
The court reaffirmed the long-standing judicial position that issues relating to the internal leadership and administration of political parties are non-justiciable and beyond the jurisdiction of the courts, relying on recent Supreme Court precedents.
Justice Umar also faulted the action as an abuse of court process, noting that several parallel suits on the same subject matter were pending before different courts, including the High Courts, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.
Additionally, the court held that Anyanwu’s tenure had lapsed, having been elected as PDP National Secretary in 2021, and that he could not lawfully remain in office beyond the expiration of the term for which he was elected.
Despite multiple legal battles to retain the position and his claim that his tenure runs until December 2025, Senator Anyanwu was among top party officials expelled at the PDP National Convention held in Ibadan in November 2025.
The PDP is currently led by the Kabiru Tanimu Turaki-led National Working Committee (NWC), which emerged from the Ibadan National Convention and is recognised by the party.
