The Court of Appeal in Abuja has postponed the hearing of a motion for a stay of execution filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its acting National Chairman, Amb. Umar Damagun, until January 27, 2025.
This motion seeks to suspend the enforcement of a December 20, 2024, ruling that affirmed Sunday Ude-Okoye, the former PDP National Youth Leader, as the National Secretary, until the Supreme Court adjudicates the appeal.
The Abuja Court of Appeal issued a directive preventing the PDP from enforcing the December 20 judgment, allowing Senator Samuel Anyanwu to continue serving as the PDP National Secretary until the Supreme Court’s decision on the appeal.
The PDP has been experiencing internal turmoil following the 2023 elections, with a significant number of members attributing the crisis to Damagun, who is considered an ally of former Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike.
In 2023, the PDP’s South East zone nominated Ude-Okoye to take over the National Secretary position from Anyanwu after he was selected as the party’s candidate for the Imo State governorship election. The South East PDP argued that Anyanwu lost his role as National Secretary upon becoming the gubernatorial candidate.
On December 20, 2024, the Court of Appeal in Enugu affirmed Ude-Okoye’s position as the PDP National Secretary, a decision communicated to party leadership on December 24.
In a court document dated January 16, 2025, the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal, led by Justice Monica B. Dongban-Mensem and accompanied by Justices Hamma Akawu Barka and Joseph O. Oyewole, instructed all parties to maintain the pre-existing conditions until the motion is heard on January 27, 2025.
The court document states: “This is a motion on notice filed on January 2, 2025, seeking the following reliefs: an order to stay the execution of the Judgment in Appeal No: CA/E/24/2024 between the Peoples Democratic Party & Anor. v. Aniagu Emmanuel & 2 Ors., delivered on December 20, 2024, pending the hearing and determination of the appeal at the Supreme Court of Nigeria.”
Furthermore, the court ordered that all parties uphold the existing status quo and confirmed the adjournment of the stay of execution motion to January 27, 2025, to allow for further examination.
