The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) faction led by Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, SAN, has written to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), demanding that it stop recognising Senator Samuel Anyanwu as National Secretary of the party.
Anyanwu was elected on March 29 as PDP National Secretary at a national convention organised by a faction loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
However, the Turaki faction, in a letter by Abdulaziz Ibrahim, SAN, on behalf of its legal team, told INEC that there is a subsisting court judgement affirming Anyanwu’s expulsion from the PDP.
“Our clients have briefed us to notify the commission of the subsisting judgement of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory affirming the expulsion of Senator Samuel N. Anyanwu from the party,” PDP said in the letter.
The letter, which was written on April 16 and received by INEC on April 17. According to the faction, the PDP National Disciplinary Committee had on March 10, 2025, reached a decision recommending the expulsion of Senator Anyanwu from the party for anti-party activities, which it added, was accepted and implemented by the PDP.
It recalled that Senator Anayanwu challenged his expulsion from the party by instituting Suit No. CV/1050/2025-SENATOR SAMUEL N. ANYANWU VS AMB. ILIYA UMAR DAMAGUN & 8 ORS, before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory.
The trial judge, according to Turaki, on January 12, 2026, dismissed Anyanwu’s case and affirmed his expulsion from the PDP.
“What this means is that Senator Samuel Anyanwu had ceased to be a member and an officer of the Peoples Democratic Party and consequently has no competence to act on behalf of the party in any capacity whatsoever since his expulsion,” the letter added.
A certified true copy (CTC) of the judgement was attached to the letter.
According to Turaki, Senator Anyanwu, a few days ago, filed a Notice of Appeal against the decision affirming his expulsion, adding that such does not amount to a stay.
“By implication, the judgement of the court dismissing his case challenging his expulsion is subsisting and remains in force and the commission has a constitutional obligation to enforce, comply and implement the judgement even without prompting from the Peoples Democratic Party by virtue of Section 287(3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended),” he stated.
He warned INEC that Anyanwu’s recognition in the face of the subsisting judgement of a court of competent jurisdiction affirming his expulsion from the PDP is an affront to the rule of law and the sanctity of the judiciary.
In view of the foregoing, Turaki demanded that INEC should expunge every recognition given to Senator Anyanwu, including but not limited to all correspondence, notices, mails, and letters signed by him.
He also demanded that the commission should cease to give Senator Anywanu further recognition as National Secretary of the PDP unless and until the appellate courts set aside the judgement affirming his expulsion from the party.
Turaki further called on INEC to immediately delist Anyanwu’s name from its portal as PDP National Secretary, and warned that failure to comply with his demands by INEC, he shall take necessary steps to ensure that justice is done in the matter.
