In a ruling delivered on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, presiding Judge Justice M. G. Umar struck out the suit (FHC/ABJ/CS/254/2025), describing the litigation as an “abuse of court process.” The court held that the issues raised by Senator Anyanwu constituted the internal affairs of a political party—a domain in which the judiciary is traditionally barred from interfering.
Justice Umar further ruled that Anyanwu’s legal mandate, stemming from his election in 2021 for a four-year term, has officially elapsed. The court found no legal justification for the Senator to remain in office following the expiration of his tenure and the subsequent emergence of a new National Working Committee (NWC).
This judicial intervention effectively solidifies the leadership of the Kabiru Tanimu Turaki-led NWC, which was inaugurated following the PDP’s landmark National Convention held in Ibadan in November 2025. That convention not only elected Turaki as National Chairman but also ratified the expulsion of several high-ranking members, including Anyanwu, on allegations of anti-party activities.
The dismissal concludes a legal saga that began in 2023 when Anyanwu temporarily vacated his secretariat post to contest the Imo State governorship election. His attempt to return to the office sparked a fierce factional battle with Sunday Udeh-Okoye. While the Supreme Court had briefly reinstated Anyanwu in March 2025 on jurisdictional grounds, Justice Umar noted that the subsequent 2025 national convention established a new administrative reality that the court declined to overturn.
By striking out the suit, the court has also terminated Anyanwu’s bid to restrain the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognizing any party correspondence not bearing his signature. As of Tuesday evening, the Kabiru Tanimu Turaki administration remains the sole recognized leadership body of the PDP. Senator Anyanwu has yet to announce if he intends to seek an appeal in the higher courts.
