A 5-man panel of the Supreme Court led by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji, on Friday, set aside the December 22, 2024 majority judgment of the Court of Appeal in Enugu sacking Senator Samuel Anyanwu as the National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
In a unanimous judgment, the Apex court held that both the High Court of Enugu State and Court of Appeal in Enugu lacked the jurisdiction to have entertained the suit.
Justice Jamilu Tukur, who read the lead judgment, reasoned that the issues in the suit filed by Emmanuel Aniagwu at the HIgh Court of Enugu State bordered on matters relating to internal affairs of the PDP, which are not justiciable and over which no courts have jurisdiction to hear.
The panel also noted that Aniagwu lacked the locus standi (the legal right) to have filed the suit having not shown the injury he suffered and how Anyanwu’s conduct affected him personally.
Consequently, Justice Tukur described him as a busy body and a meddlesome interloper.
More so, Justice Tukur opined that Anyanwu’s participation in the last governorship election in Imo State, as the candidate of the PDP was pursuant to the approval of the party’s leadership as against the claim by Aniagwu.
In view of the foregoing, it was the contention of Justice Tukur that Sunday Ude-Okoye, who would have been the beneficiary of the case, was not made a party.
The court therefore affirmed the minority judgment of the Enugu division of the Court of Appeal, delivered by Justice Ekanem, where he held that the court was without the requisite jurisdiction to hear the case.
Justice Tukur proceeded to strike out the suit instituted by Aniagwu before the High Court of Enugu State for want of jurisdiction.
