The National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Samuel Anyanwu, has filed an appeal against the judgment of a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), which upheld his expulsion from the party.
The appeal, lodged three months after the ruling delivered by Justice Y. Halilu, signaled growing tension over the legitimacy of Anyanwu’s continued role within the party, especially given the strategic importance of the office of the national secretary in party administration.
As PDP scribe, Anyanwu previously played a key constitutional role in internal party decisions, including processes linked to the emergence of leadership structures within a faction of the party and the appointment of acting officials during internal disputes.
He was also part of the National Caretaker Working Committee that organised the March 28–29 national convention, which produced a set of national officers reportedly aligned with Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
However, his position has since been contested following judicial and internal party decisions questioning the legality of his actions while under suspension.
A disciplinary committee led by Chief Tom Ikimi had earlier recommended his expulsion over alleged anti-party activities after reviewing petitions filed by party members.
Tensions escalated after the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP reportedly suspended Anyanwu and other key officials on November 1, 2025, including the national legal adviser, national organising secretary, and national auditor.
That suspension was later affirmed by an appellate court ruling on March 9, which also nullified a factional convention that produced a separate set of party officers.
Concerns within party circles deepened after reports that Anyanwu signed correspondence sent to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on November 3, 2025, appointing an acting national chairman, despite being under suspension at the time.
Critics argued that such actions could undermine the legality of subsequent factional decisions, including conventions and nominations.
Amid growing internal disputes, Anyanwu has now approached the Court of Appeal through a Notice of Appeal filed on April 10, 2026 by his counsel, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) K.C.O. Njemanze.
He is seeking to overturn the FCT High Court judgment that struck out his suit, arguing that the lower court erred in holding that he failed to exhaust internal party dispute resolution mechanisms before approaching the judiciary.
In his grounds of appeal, he maintained that the dispute goes beyond internal party affairs and therefore falls within the jurisdiction of the court, insisting that the trial court wrongly declined to hear the substantive issues.
He further asked the appellate court to set aside the earlier ruling and enter judgment in his favour, effectively nullifying the recommendation for his expulsion.
The disciplinary committee had earlier recommended his removal after concluding that he failed to appear before it to respond to allegations of anti-party conduct.
Before the High Court, Anyanwu had challenged the committee’s authority, arguing that it lacked jurisdiction and violated his right to fair hearing under the PDP constitution.
However, Justice Halilu ruled that the matter was an internal party dispute not suitable for judicial intervention and dismissed the case for lack of jurisdiction, a position now being contested at the appellate level.
