UPDATED: Ousted PDP National Secretary Resumes Duties

…He’s A Law Breaker – Party Spokesman

The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed outrage over the resumption of duties of its ousted National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu.

Anyanwu arrived at the party secretariat at 11am on Monday and made straight to his office on the second floor of the building.

Anyanwu resumed duties in defiance of a judgment of the Enugu Division of the Court of Appeal which nullified his position as National Secretary.

The appellate court’s judgment had recognised Sunday Udeh-Okoye as the substantive National Secretary.

Speaking with journalists at his office minutes after he resumed duties, Anyanwu justified his actions, saying that he had filed for a stay of execution of the Appeal Court judgement.

The embattled National Secretary however, could not produce a copy of the stay of execution he claimed to have obtained.

Reacting to the development, the party condemned Anyanwu’s action, describing him as a lawbreaker.

The PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, said it’s unfortunate that Anyanwu defied the judgment of the Appeal Court.

Ologunagba dismissed claims by Anyanwu that he had obtained a stay of execution of the said, saying that the leadership of the party was not in the receipt of any stay of execution.

The party spokesman, who spoke with journalists on Monday, said, “It is unfortunate that Anyanwu, a former senator should be a lawbreaker.

“We have not received any stay of execution. Anyanwu’s resumption is unfortunate. This is not the time for the party to go through this kind of embarrassing situation. We are a country of rule of law and order.

“If you have a stay of execution, it’s a process. You have to serve the parties involved. As I said, the party, PDP, has not received either a notice of motion for a stay or been served a stay of execution.

“I don’t know where that is coming from, but the party has a process. When the document comes in, I will be made aware through the Legal Adviser.

“As we speak, I have no information at this time that the party has been served either a motion for stay or a stay of execution.”

When he was asked what step the party leadership was going to take against Anyanwu, Ologunagba said he would not preempt the party’s next move.

The party spokesman described Anyanwu’s actions as unfortunate, saying that his resort to self help was condemnable.

He decried the alleged deployment of thugs by Anyanwu at the party’s secretariat.

“We have information about the activities of thugs from Niger State. We are privy to the communication involved, including the emails that were sent by bank transfer.

“We have details of that. All of these were done at the behest of Senator Anyanwu. It is unfortunate that a former senator should be a lawbreaker.

“There is a process. Let’s agree on the rule of law. We have no personal issues with him. I don’t think the party has personal issues. He went to court and appealed the case but did not let the process proceed.

“As I have said before, we don’t do self-help. It’s a process. We are a law-and-order party. That is why we don’t act impulsively.”

He made a veiled reference to the role being played by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike in the crisis rocking the PDP.

He said,” We see the hand of a third force in this matter. We suspect that, unfortunately, some members of the party are being used by the ruling party to disturb us so that the party will have issues going into the next election because of the fundamental failure of the APC.

“Having said that, we are a party of law and order. We will follow through with the process. We don’t do self-help. We are not in the jungle.

“PDP will continue to do what is in the interest of the party, in accordance with the law and the constitution. Don’t forget, the judgment is a declarative judgment. That cannot be stayed. It’s clear.

“If they have applied for a stay, let the court decide one way or the other. And whatever the court decides, this party will abide by it,” Ologunagba said.