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Tag: Senator Samuel Anyanwu

  • Anyanwu voids Damagum’s dissolution of Akwa Ibom PDP Exco

    Anyanwu voids Damagum’s dissolution of Akwa Ibom PDP Exco

    A fresh crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is threatening the planned November National Convention of the party.

    The party’s National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, has voided the dissolution of the Akwa Ibom State Working Committee (SWC) of the party by the National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum.

    Anyanwu said PDP’s National Working Committee (NEC) never decided on the dissolution of the leadership of the party in the state.

    The National Secretary and the National Chairman have been locked in a fresh battle, culminating in the issuance of conflicting letters by both leaders of the party.

    A letter by Anyanwu, dated October 1, 2025, and titled: “RE: Dissolution of Akwa Ibom State Working Committee,” reads: “My attention has been drawn to the purported press release by the National Publicity Secretary (NPS) of our party, announcing the dissolution of the State Working Committee of Akwa Ibom State.

    “For purposes of clarity, that press release should be discountenanced, because there was no formal sitting of the National Working Committee (NWC) in which such a decision was taken.

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    “It is not in the official position and duties of the National Publicity Secretary to take actions relating to the implementation of the decisions of the National Working Committee of our great party. As a result, the purported press release is null and void and of no effect.

    “The State Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom State stands undissolved.

    “Please, consider this letter as the rightful authority for you to continue in your duties as provided in the PDP Constitution 2017, as amended.”

    The PDP National Publicity Secretary had, on Monday, issued a statement informing of the dissolution of the Akwa Ibom State’s Working Committee and the constitution of a 31-man caretaker committee to run the affairs of the party for a minimum of three months.

  • PDP crisis lingers as Anyanwu voids dissolution of Akwa Ibom Exco

    PDP crisis lingers as Anyanwu voids dissolution of Akwa Ibom Exco

    The fresh criss brewing in the main opposition party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is threatening the success of the planned November National Convention of the party. 

    The National Secretary of the party, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, has voided the dissolution of the Akwa Ibom State Working Committee(SWC) of the party, saying the National Working Committee(NWC) of the party never met to decide on the dissolution of the leadership of the party in the state. 

    The National Secretary and the Acting National Chairman has been locked in fresh battle leading to issuance of conflicting letters by both leaders of the party. 

    The letter dated 1st October, 2025, titled “RE: Dissolution of Akwa Ibom State Working Committee” reads: “My attention has been drawn to the purported press release by the National Publicity Secretary (NPS) of our party, announcing the dissolution of the State Working Committee of Akwa Ibom State. 

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    “For purposes of clarity, that press release should be discountenanced, because there was no formal sitting of the National Working Committee (NWC) in which such decision was taken. 

    “it is not in the official position and duties of the National Publicity Secretary to take actions relating to the implementation of the decisions of the National Working Committee of our great Party. As a result, the purported press release is null and void and of no effect. 

    “The State Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Akwa Ibom State stands undissolved. 

    “Please consider this letter as the rightful authority for you to continue in your duties as provided in the PDP Constitution 2017 as Amended”. 

    The National publicity Secretary on Monday issued a statement informing of the dissolution of the Akwa Ibom state Working committee and the Constitution of a 31 man caretaker committee to run the affairs of the party for a minimum of three months. 

  • PDP: Supreme Court to hear Anyanwu’s appeal against sack, March 10

    PDP: Supreme Court to hear Anyanwu’s appeal against sack, March 10

    The appeal filed by Senator Samuel Anyanwu challenging his removal as the National Secretary of the People Democratic Party (PDP) will be heard on March 10, the Supreme Court said yesterday.

    A five-member panel of the apex court, presided over by Justice Ibrahim Saulawa, chose the date yesterday, while delivering ruling on the motion for accelerated hearing filed by Anyanwu.

    Last December, the Court of Appeal sitting in Enugu upheld a High Court decision that sacked Samuel Anyanwu as PDP national secretary.

    The lower court upheld Sunday Udeh-Okoye as the substantive national secretary of the opposition party.

    In the lead judgment delivered by Justice Ridwan Abdullahi, the Court of Appeal held that Anyanwu‘s appeal was incompetent and lacking in merit.

    The appellate court held that the appellant violated the PDP constitution by laying claim to the national secretary position, having contested and picked as the party’s candidate in the 2024 governorship election in Imo State.

    Dissatisfied with the ruling, Anyanwu approached the apex court last month and asked the court to set aside the judgment of the two lower courts and recognise him as the authentic national secretary of the PDP.

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    He also filed a motion for accelerated hearing as well as an abridgment of time on grounds of the crucial role of the office of national secretary.

    Delivering ruling in the motion, the Supreme Court  granted the relief sought and ordered service of the court processes on the respondent, Mr. Aniagu Emmanuel, who the court said, must file in his reply brief within three days of service.

    Anyanwu, on the other hand was given two days to reply on point of law.

    But the apex court did not hear Anyanwu’s motion for stay of execution of the judgment of the appellate court was not heard by the apex court.

  • Senate rescinds confirmation of Buhari’s INEC nominee

    The Senate Thursday rescinded its confirmation of Elder Monday Udo Tom as Resident Electoral Commissioner from Akwa Ibom State.

    Over turning the confirmation of Tom followed a motion by Senator Bassey Albert Apkan.

    The Akwa Ibom North East senator in the motion prayed the upper chamber to take a second look at the confirmation of the nominee.

    Akpan said that his motion to rescind the confirmation of Tom became necessary because it was obvious that the Senate Committee on Independent National Electoral Commission that screened the nominee and gave him a clean bill of health did not take recourse to a weighty petition against him.

    He said, “I have the report of the committee; there is no indication that the petition against the nominee was considered by the committee. The committee failed to take cognizance of the weighty petition against the nominee.

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    “I therefore move that the confirmation of the nominee be stepped down and the nominee referred back to the relevant committee for further legislative action in the interest of fair play.”

    Chairman, Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, Senator Samuel Anyanwu also told the Senate that his committee received a petition against the nominee.

    Anyanwu (Imo East) said that they were waiting for the INEC committee to conclude it screening for them to consider the petition against the nominee.

    Senate President, Bukola Saraki, put the proposal to rescind the confirmation to a voice vote.

    It was unanimously adopted. Saraki referred the nominee to the INEC Committee for further legislative action.

    A source said that the thrust of the petition was that Tom is a disguised member of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The nominee is also said to be an aide to former member of the House of Representatives who is now in APC.

  • Ndume’s constituents rally in Abuja ahead of his return

    Ndume’s constituents rally in Abuja ahead of his return

    Suspended Senator representing Borno South, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, is expected to resume next week after serving out his six months suspension.

    Ahead of Ndume’s return, his supporters from his constituency demonstrated solidarity for the lawmaker in Abuja.

    The supporters held a rally at the Unity Fountain, Abuja chanting Ndume’s praise.

    Led by the Coordinator, Ndume Support Initiative, Ibrahim Muazzamu, the group said that they were in Abuja in show of solidarity for Ndume.

    Muazzamu told reporters they gathered to “initiate a programme that will mark the ‘countdown’ to the resumption of Distinguished Senator from his unjustified suspension”.

    He said that the constituents had not heard of any instance where it was said in any quarters that Ndume would not resume after the expiration of his suspension.

    He said, “We are carrying out the rally to voluntarily stage our support for him.

    “This is a show of our love and passion for his efforts toward Southern Borno and indeed Nigeria.

    “We also recognise his effort in the fight against corruption which is in line with the agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari.”

    He insisted that they were confident that Ndume would resume in the Senate in spite of any unforeseen circumstances.

    “The resumption has been fixed and we believe nothing will change that,” he said.

    He noted that the constituents were expectant that the lawmaker would continue in his effort toward the development of the area.

    “We missed a lot of his representation during the period of his suspension,” he said.

    Ndume was suspended on March 27, 2017, sequel to the adoption of the recommendations of its Committee on Ethic, Privileges and Public Petitions.

    The Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, led by Senator Samuel Anyanwu, recommended that Ndume be suspended.

    The Borno lawmaker in his point of Order called for investigation into the allegation by the Customs Service alleging that the Senate President refused to pay duty of N74m for a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) valued at N298m imported into the country by Saraki.

    Ndume also called on the upper chamber to investigate another allegation of certificate forgery leveled against Senator Dino Melaye (Kogi West).

    The Ethics committee, which investigated the allegations cleared Senate President and Senator Melaye.

  • NASS amends CCT bill, takes control from President

    NASS amends CCT bill, takes control from President

    • Lawmakers limit CCB membership to five-year tenure

    The Senate on Thursday passed a bill amending the Code of Conduct and Tribunal Act, which transfers the controlling powers over the bureau and the tribunal from the President to the National Assembly.

    As part of the amendment, the CCT shall be made up of the chairman and four other members, with three of the five forming the quorum on every sitting.

    However, the lawmakers allowed the President to maintain his appointment powers over the CCB.

    But, the appointment of the chairman and members of the bureau and the tribunal will be subject to Senate’s approval, with the appointment of those in the bureau limited to a tenure of five years, while the second term will be subject to legislative approval if the amendment is passed into law.

    The House of Representatives had passed the amendment bill in May 2016 and sent it to the Senate for concurrence.

    The Chairman, Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, while laying a report on the concurrence amendment bill on the floor of the chamber during Thursday’s plenary, recalled that the Senate referred the bill to the committee on October 13, 2016, “for critical examination.”

  • Commercial activities grounded as Owerri monarch is laid to rest

    All markets and business places in Owerri, the Imo State capital were on friday shutdown as the paramount ruler of Owerri Eze Dr. Emmanuel Emenyonu Njemanze (Ozuruigbo V of Owerri) was laid to rest in his palace.

    Vehicular movements were also restricted as most of the major streets that used to be congested were almost deserted. Residents of Owerri reported that cannon shots started booming as early as 1am and continued until 12 noon.

    Eze Njemanze, whose reign was relatively peaceful, ascended the throne in 1989 and joined his ancestors in May 2016.

    The corpse was last taken to Government College Owerri where he was a pioneer student for a brief lying in state before a burial service at the Cathedral of Transfiguration of Our Lord (CATOL), where family members and Owerri indigenes turned out in large number to bid the monarch farewell. There was also a colourful road walk by youths in royal dresses.

    In his sermon the officiating Priest and the Anglican Bishop of Owerri, Rt. Rev. Dr. Cyril Okorocha stated that the quality of a man was not measured by his wealth, adding that the late monarch lived a life worthy of emulation and commendation.

    He prayed God for the repose of the soul of the departed monarch and the fortitude for the family to bear the loss.

    The burial was witnessed by eminent Nigerians including the former Governor of the State, Chief Ikedi ohakim, the Deputy Governor of the State, Eze Madumere ,  Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, Minister of state for Education, Prof. Anthony anwukah Chief Mike Ahamba SAN, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Emeka Ihedioha, former Military Administrator of the State, Senator Ike Nwachukwu and Amb Kema Chikwe.

    Others were Amb. Jude Agbugba, Livy Uzoukwu SAN, Ken Njemanze SAN, Prof. Viola Onwuliri,  Dr. Pascal Dozie and Hon. Onyewuchi Ezenwa among others.