The prolonged legal battle over the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Secretary position ended on Tuesday as Senator Samuel Anyanwu voluntarily withdrew a fresh suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja, prompting Justice Mohammed Umar to dismiss the case.
Anyanwu’s counsel, U.C. Njemanze-Aku, told the court that the case had been overtaken by events and should be withdrawn in the interest of justice to save judicial time.
The dispute traces back to Anyanwu vacating the PDP National Secretary office to contest the 2023 Imo governorship election, which he lost. Following his departure, Sunday Udeh-Okoye emerged as a rival claimant to the post, sparking internal party conflicts.
On 20 December 2024, the Court of Appeal in Enugu upheld a prior Federal High Court decision removing Anyanwu and confirming Udeh-Okoye as the authentic PDP National Secretary. Anyanwu subsequently sought a stay of execution and appealed to the Supreme Court.
In March 2025, the Supreme Court overturned both rulings, reinstating Anyanwu. Nonetheless, leadership rivalries continued within the party, leading him to file a fresh suit at the Federal High Court seeking enforcement of his position.
The court in November 2025 allowed an amendment to the originating summons but imposed ₦30,000 costs per defendant and adjourned the hearing to January 20, 2026.
When the matter was called for hearing, Anyanwu, through his lawyer, opted to withdraw the suit. Justice Umar then dismissed the case, concluding a legal struggle that had lasted over two years.
“Since you have joined issues, I am going to dismiss this matter. The matter is hereby dismissed,” the judge declared.
