The Federal Excessive Courtroom sitting in Abuja on Tuesday dismissed a go well with instituted by Samuel Anyanwu, a factional Nationwide Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Social gathering, during which he sought official recognition because the celebration’s scribe.
Justice Mohammed Umar struck out the go well with after it was established that Anyanwu’s tenure as PDP Nationwide Secretary had elapsed in December 2025, thereby rendering the matter educational.
The go well with, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/254/2025, was initially filed towards the Impartial Nationwide Electoral Fee, INEC, and Umar Damagun, former Appearing Nationwide Chairman of the PDP, listed as the primary and second defendants.
In an ex-parte software dated and filed on February 13, 2025, by way of his counsel, Ken Njemanze, Anyanwu sought two interim reliefs.
He requested an order restraining INEC from recognising or appearing on any PDP correspondence not signed by him, pending the dedication of a movement for interlocutory injunction.
He additionally requested the courtroom to bar Damagun from forwarding to INEC any PDP correspondence signed solely by the appearing chairman and never countersigned by him.
Nevertheless, on February 28, 2025, the courtroom expanded the listing of events by becoming a member of the PDP and Sunday Udeh-Okoye as third and fourth defendants.
Justice Umar additionally added Dr Ali Odela and Mr Setonji Koshoedo as fifth and sixth defendants respectively.
Odela was recognized because the PDP’s Nationwide Vice Chairman (South-East), whereas Koshoedo was described because the celebration’s Deputy Nationwide Secretary.
When the case was referred to as, U.C. Njemanze-Aku, who appeared for Anyanwu, knowledgeable the courtroom that his shopper’s tenure as PDP Nationwide Secretary had expired in December 2025.
He famous that the circumstances had overtaken the go well with.
“Within the curiosity of justice, I apply to withdraw this matter to avoid wasting the time of the courtroom,” he stated.
Responding, INEC’s counsel, Akintayo Balogun, argued that the go well with “ought to not have been instituted within the first place.”
He urged the courtroom to dismiss the matter and award prices, requesting N1 million.
Counsel to Damagun, M. O. Akpan, aligned with Balogun’s place.
Ugochukwu Okanu, who represented the fourth defendant, additionally supported the decision for prices and requested a million naira.
Equally, counsel to the sixth defendant, J. A. Musa, raised no objection to the withdrawal however requested for N1 million as price.
Opposing the requests, Njemanze-Aku objected to the award of prices towards the plaintiff, arguing that the withdrawal was necessitated by developments past their management.
“We owe an obligation to the courtroom, and to keep away from losing it’s time, we determined to withdraw the case,” he stated.
He additional argued that “it isn’t truthful to penalise the plaintiff,” urging the courtroom to direct all events to bear their respective prices.
After listening to submissions from all events, Justice Umar dismissed the go well with with out awarding prices.
“Since you could have joined points, I’m going to dismiss this matter.
“The matter is hereby dismissed,” he dominated.
On the difficulty of prices, the choose added: “The delay will not be on any of the events. The scenario made it so. For that reason, I award no price.”
The dispute over the PDP Nationwide Secretary place started after Anyanwu vacated the workplace to contest the 2023 Imo State governorship election, which he misplaced.
His subsequent try and return to the place sparked inner celebration rigidity, with Sunday Udeh-Okoye laying declare to the seat.
On December 20, 2024, the Courtroom of Attraction in Enugu affirmed an earlier ruling of the Federal Excessive Courtroom, which eliminated Anyanwu and recognised Udeh-Okoye because the celebration’s genuine Nationwide Secretary.
Anyanwu challenged the judgment by submitting for a keep of execution and continuing to the Supreme Courtroom.
In March 2025, the Supreme Courtroom overturned the choices of each the Courtroom of Attraction and the Federal Excessive Courtroom, reinstating Anyanwu.
Regardless of the apex courtroom’s ruling, management disputes persevered throughout the PDP, with rival factions asserting management on the nationwide secretariat.
To resolve the lingering uncertainty, Anyanwu instituted a contemporary go well with on the Federal Excessive Courtroom in Abuja, in search of enforcement of his place and associated declaratory reliefs.
In November 2025, the courtroom granted his software to amend the originating summons.
Justice Umar allowed the modification however awarded a value of N30,000 towards the plaintiff in favour of every defendant and adjourned the matter to January 20 for listening to.