Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says it is obliged to obey the Appeal Court order restraining the party from appointing any person as acting National Secretary in place of Sen. Samuel Anyanwu.
The party’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Ibrahim Abdullahi, stated this at a news conference, tagged: “Just so the PDP may have a breather’’, on Friday in Abuja.
Abdullahi said in the last few days, PDP had been issued with two court orders surrounding the authentic national secretary of the party.
He said that on Wednesday, PDP was served with an order of interim injunction issued by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Maitama, in a suit marked: CV/64/2025.
Abdullahi said that the order, in the suit instituted by Imo PDP Chairman, Austine Nwachukwu, through his counsel, Clement Mue, restrained the party from recognising the PDP Deputy National Secretary, Setonji Koshoedo, as the substantive national secretary.
He said that PDP was, on Thursday, also served with a stay of execution order by the Court of Appeal (Abuja division) in an appeal No. CA/E/24/2024 on a judgement delivered by the Court of Appeal, Enugu Division, on December 20, 2024.
Abdullahi said that the order came with an injunction restraining PDP or its agents from enforcing or giving effect to the judgement of the appellate court, pending the hearing and determination of the appeal filed at the Supreme Court.
According to him, the court, in its ruling on the ex parte application, restrained PDP and its principal officers from removing Anyanwu from office, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice fixed for Jan. 28.
He said that the court also restrained PDP, its leaders, Koshoedo or any other person from acting as the party’s national secretary.
Abdullahi added that the deputy national secretary was equally restrained from issuing any notice of meeting of the National Executive Committee and National Working Committee, signing any document or performing any function except on the directive of Anyanwu or in his absence.
“Accordingly, we are obliged, as a law-abiding party, to respect the order of the court.
“We will also send a legal representation to defend the party in the suit when the motion on notice comes up on February 5 for hearing on the originating summons,’’ he said.
Abdullahi said that Anyanwu remained the substantive national secretary until the determination of the appeal before the Supreme Court.
“Where there is an appeal, it is only behooves on the appellant to wait until the determination of the appeal. That is the position of law,’’ he said.
Abdullahi appealed to all PDP members to be law-abiding in waiting for the final position of the court on the matter.
Asked why he was doing the news briefing when PDP has Debo Ologunagba as its substantive National Publicity Secretary, Abdullahi said he enjoyed the same power with Ologunagba to speak for the party.
He said that he was directed by the party’s acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, to do so, following Ologunagba’s recent dispositions.
He said that Ologunagba had recently issued statements and held news conferences on issues he claimed to be from the NWC, while the committee had not met since September 2024.
“A national publicity secretary does not enjoy such powers. He cannot speak for the NWC without clearance from the NWC. That is not the position of law,’’ he said.
