The Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has insisted on compliance with the judgment of the Appeal Court on the National Secretary position.
BoT Chairman Senator Adolphus Wabara emphasized in a telephone interview with Sun Newspaper on Sunday that the PDP, as a law-abiding party, cannot afford to disregard the appellate court’s decision.
Henzodaily reports that the Court of Appeal, Enugu Division, upheld the nomination of former PDP National Youth Leader Sunday Ude-Okoye as the party’s national secretary replacement for Senator Samuel Anyanwu on December 20, 2024.
The ruling followed two separate appeals affirming Ude-Okoye’s appointment, which was made by the PDP South East chapter after Anyanwu emerged as the party’s governorship candidate for the 2023 Imo State election.
Despite the court’s decision, Anyanwu has maintained his claim to the office, citing his appeal of the judgment and filing for a stay of execution.
Wabara called on all organs, including the National Working Committee (NWC), to comply with the court ruling. He stressed the importance of respecting the judiciary to uphold the rule of law within the party.
He said, “The judiciary is the last hope of the citizenry. Whatever judgment, whether good or bad, it is the law. Once a judgment is given, it is the law and it has to be respected. When you don’t respect the judgment of the court, then you are heading for anarchy.
“Therefore, I appeal to members of the National Working Committee that they must obey the Appeal Court judgment; particularly as I was told recently that there were appeal court cases – one from Anyanwu and the other one from the side of Ude Okoye. The court captured the two appeals and delivered a judgment.
“Nobody should disobey that judgment. PDP is known to be very law abiding. Every judgment from the court is a law. After the Appeal Court you can still go higher to the Supreme Court.
“And when the Supreme Court judgment comes, that would be it. But for now, the Appeal Court judgment subsists and should be obeyed by the NWC, and BoT. All the organs of the party must obey that judgment pending when there is a contrary judgment.”
Wabara added: “That judgment was declaratory and you can’t stay a declaratory judgment. You can challenge it, but you can’t disobey a declaratory judgement by saying that because you have filed or you are about to file or you about to challenge that declaratory judgment in the higher court in this case, the Supreme Court, that is equivalent to stay of execution.”