An FCT High Court delivered its ruling on January 12, 2026, in Suit No. CV/1050/2025 (Senator Samuel N. Anyanwu v. Ambassador Iliya Umar Damagum & 8 Others), dismissing Anyanwu’s case in its entirety and affirming his expulsion from the PDP.

The expulsion originated from a March 10, 2025 recommendation by the Chief Tom Ikimi-led National Disciplinary Committee over alleged anti-party activities, which was subsequently ratified by the party leadership.

Justice Yusuf Halilu dismissed the case for want of jurisdiction, ruling that Anyanwu’s claims constituted non-justiciable intra-party disputes and also lacked merit. The court further held that Anyanwu was duly invited to appear before the disciplinary committee but failed to take advantage of the opportunity afforded him.

On April 16, 2026, counsel to the Turaki-led faction, Abdullahi Ibrahim, SAN, formally notified INEC Chairman Professor Joash Amupitan of the subsisting judgment, attaching a Certified True Copy as Annexure 1. The letter also attached Anyanwu’s Notice of Appeal (filed April 10, 2026) as Annexure 2, but stressed that an appeal does not operate as a stay of execution.

Citing Section 287(3) of the 1999 Constitution, the faction argued that INEC is constitutionally bound to enforce the judgment, as decisions of competent courts are binding on all authorities and persons across the Federation.

The faction accused INEC of undermining judicial authority by continuing to recognize Anyanwu despite the subsisting court ruling.

· Expunge every recognition accorded to Anyanwu since January 12, 2026, including all correspondence, notices, emails, and documents signed by him in that capacity

· Cease further recognizing him as PDP National Secretary unless an appellate court sets aside the judgment

· Immediately delist his name from INEC’s official portal

The letter warned that failure to comply would leave the PDP with no option but to initiate contempt proceedings against the INEC Chairman and take further legal action.

INEC had previously, on March 30, 2026, updated its official website and recognized the Abdulrahman Mohammed-led faction (backed by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike) as the official PDP leadership, listing Samuel Anyanwu as National Secretary. As of April 18, 2026, INEC had yet to respond to the Turaki faction’s demand letter, leaving the issue unresolved.

Anyanwu, through his counsel K.C.O. Njemanze, SAN, filed a Notice of Appeal on April 10, 2026, presenting nine grounds for appeal. He argued that the trial court erred in holding that his failure to exhaust internal party remedies rendered his suit premature, and maintained that his complaints transcend internal party affairs, thus falling within the court’s jurisdiction. He prayed the appellate court to set aside the lower court’s judgment and annul his expulsion.

The judgment has created significant anxiety within the Wike-backed PDP faction. Members are apprehensive that Anyanwu signed the letter appointing Abdulrahman Mohammed as Acting National Chairman on November 3, 2025—while under suspension—a situation that may jeopardize all subsequent activities of the faction, including its March 28-29, 2026 National Convention, the composition of its National Working Committee, and its capacity to validly nominate candidates for elections.

This anxiety is compounded by the Court of Appeal’s March 9, 2026 judgment, which affirmed the November 1, 2025 suspension of Anyanwu and three other senior officials from the party. The Wike camp reportedly finds itself in a difficult position, with growing fears that the overlooked affirmation of Anyanwu’s suspension may have been a costly error that could invalidate all their efforts in the struggle for control of the PDP.

Nigerians have reacted with fresh criticism online, questioning the legality of Anyanwu’s continued role given the subsisting court ruling. Meanwhile, the Turaki faction has maintained that Anyanwu “has ceased to be a member and officer of the Peoples Democratic Party and has no competence to act on behalf of the Party in any capacity whatsoever since his expulsion”.

The matter is further complicated by the fact that multiple cases arising from the PDP leadership crisis have now been consolidated and are awaiting final determination before the Supreme Court. For now, the January 12 FCT High Court judgment affirming Anyanwu’s expulsion remains subsisting and binding, while INEC’s continued recognition of him as National Secretary has set the stage for a potential legal confrontation over enforcement of the judgment.