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The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, has adjourned the hearing of a motion for a stay of execution filed by the Peoples Democratic Party and its acting National Chairman, Amb. Umar Damagun, till January 27 for hearing.
The motion aims to prevent the enforcement of a judgment delivered on December 20, 2024, which confirmed Sunday Ude-Okoye, the former PDP National Youth Leader, as National Secretary, until an appeal is decided by the Supreme Court.
The Abuja Court of Appeal has issued an order restraining the PDP from enforcing the judgment, instructing that Senator Samuel Anyanwu continue as the PDP National Secretary until the Supreme Court resolves the appeal.
Recall that the PDP has been facing a crisis both during and after the 2023 elections, with many party members holding Damagum, an ally of former Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, responsible.
Concerning the National Secretary position, in 2023, the PDP’s South East zone nominated Ude-Okoye to replace Anyanwu after he was selected as the party’s candidate for the Imo State governorship election.
The South East PDP argued that Anyanwu was no longer National Secretary once he became the party’s candidate for the Imo election.
As a result, on December 20, 2024, the Appeal Court in Enugu confirmed Ude-Okoye as the PDP National Secretary in a recent ruling, which was officially communicated to the party leadership on December 24.
In a court document obtained by The PUNCH on Thursday dated January 16, 2025, the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division presided over by Justice Monica B. Dongban-Mensem alongside Justices Hamma Akawu Barka and Joseph O. Oyewole, directed all parties to maintain the status quo ante bellum until the motion’s determination on January 27, 2025.
It stated, “This is a motion on notice filed on the 2nd day of January 2025 praying for the following reliefs:
“An order staying the execution of the Judgment of this Court in Appeal No: CA/E/24/2024 between Peoples Democratic Party & Anor. V. Aniagu Emmanuel & 2 Ors. Delivered on the 20th day of December, 2024 pending the hearing and determination of the appeal filed at the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
“An order of injunction restraining the respondents, their agent’s privies or otherwise however described from enforcing or giving effect to the judgment of this court delivered on the 20th day of December 2024 pending the hearing and determination of the appeal filed at the Supreme Court of Nigeria.”
The court ordered that the status quo be maintained.
It continued, “It is hereby ordered that: The motion for stay of execution of the judgment of this court filed on 2 January 2025 is adjourned to the 27th day of January 2025 for hearing.
“Accordingly, all parties are enjoined to maintain the status quo ante bellum pending the hearing and the determination of the Motion on Notice.”
