A Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled a hearing for September 22 in a suit seeking to clarify issues around the question of who the authentic National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is.
Justice Mohammed Umar chose the date on Thursday following a letter from the National Vice Chairman, PDP South-East, Ali Odefa, for an adjournment.
The suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/254/2025 was filed by Senator Samuel Anyanwu.
After taking arguments from lawyers representing parties in the suit, the then-trial judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo, fixed judgment for March 25.
Before the judgment could be delivered, Anyanwu brought an application seeking to amend the suit to correct the issues for determination.
Justice Ekwo then adjourned till May 19 for the hearing of Anyanwu’s fresh motion for amendment and also granted the request to add additional parties to the suit.
The judge joined the PDP and Udeh Okoye, the National Vice Chairman, Odefa and Deputy National Secretary of the party, Setonji Koshoedo as third to sixth defendants.
The case was later transferred to Justice Umar for determination.
When the case was called on Thursday, the lawyer to the plaintiff, Mrs. U. C. Njemanze-Aku, said that although the case was slated for mention, his client received a letter from the fifth defendant requesting that the case be adjourned till September.
Njemanze-Aku said that while she is not against the request for adjournment, she would prefer a shorter date.
Akintoye Balogun, Paul Harris Ogbole (SAN), Paul Erokoro (SAN) and J. C. Alum, who represented the other respondents, agreed with Njemanze-Aku’s position.
Erokoro, however, informed the court that the issue currently before the court had been resolved in an earlier judgment by the Supreme Court.
He said the Supreme Court, in the said judgment, held, among others, that the subject matter of the case relates to issues within the internal affairs of political parties.
Erokoro said he would be bringing an application wherein he intends to attach the judgment of the Supreme Court.
Justice Umar subsequently directed all parties to file their response to Anyanwu’s motion for amendment.
The judge said the motion and all objections would be heard on September 22.