Court of Appeal Affirms Suspension of Senator Anyanwu and Three Senior PDP National Officers Amid Internal Party Crisis

The Abuja Court of Appeal affirms the suspension of Samuel Anyanwu and three others, while blocking the 2025 PDP Convention results. Get the full legal update.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 9, 2026, 11:11 AM EDT

Source: The information in this article was sourced from LEADERSHIP

Appellate Court Validates Disciplinary Actions Against PDP Leadership

The legal battle over the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party reached a critical juncture on Monday as the Court of Appeal in Abuja affirmed the suspension of four prominent national officers. The judicial panel upheld the disciplinary measures taken against Senator Samuel Anyanwu, the former National Secretary, alongside National Legal Adviser Kamaldeen Ajibade, Deputy National Legal Adviser Okechukwu Osuoha, and National Organising Secretary Umaru Bature. This ruling reinforces the authority of the party’s National Working Committee to enforce internal discipline when officials are accused of actions inconsistent with the party’s established constitution.

Judicial Support for Internal Disciplinary Frameworks

The appellate court’s decision rested heavily on the principle of party autonomy regarding internal administrative processes. By affirming the previous ruling delivered by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, the bench signaled that the suspension initiated on November 1, 2025, followed the requisite legal and constitutional paths. The court noted that the appellants failed to provide sufficient grounds to invalidate the party leadership's decision, effectively barring the four officials from exercising their former powers within the national opposition structure.

Ibadan National Convention Results Remain in Legal Limbo

Beyond the individual suspensions, the Court of Appeal also addressed the broader legality of the PDP’s recent organizational activities. The court upheld a secondary judgment from October 2025 that prevents the Independent National Electoral Commission from recognizing the outcomes of the 2025 National Convention conducted in Ibadan, Oyo State. The judiciary found that the convention was held in direct violation of statutory requirements, specifically pointing toward a failure to comply with mandatory notification procedures and other procedural dictates of the Electoral Act.