Less than two weeks after the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, revoked the land occupancy rights of the national secretariat of his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja for alleged non-payment of ground rent by the party, the Supreme Court has nullified the judgments of the Court of Appeal and Federal High Court, which sacked Senator Samuel Anyanwu as National Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
A five-member panel of the apex court held that the issue of who is the National Secretary of the PDP borders on the internal affairs of a political party which is not justiciable.
In a letter dated March 13, 2025, and addressed to the PDP National Chairman, Umar Damagum, the Director of Land Administration at the FCT Administration, Chijioke Nwankwoeze, justified the action of FCTA, daying the withdrawal of the land title, located at Abuja central area was because PDP owes it over N7 million for non-payment of ground rent from 2006 till date.
Nwankwoeze, stated that while the PDP headquarters at Wadata Plaza does not belong to the political party, the owner of the property also owes the administration from 1998 till date, leaving the administration no choice but to revoke the land titles alongside over 4,000 landowners who have defaulted.
He advised affected property owners interested in offsetting their debt to appeal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike for possible reconsideration and issuance of grace period.
As if that was not enough, Justice Jamilu Tukur, who delivered the lead judgment of the Supreme Court nullifying the judgments of the Court of Appeal and Federal High Court on Friday, consequently struck out the judgment of the trial court delivered in October 2024 and also set aside the majority judgment of the court of appeal which had in December affirmed the sack of Anyanwu as PDP’s National Secretary.
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Justice Tukur subsequently affirmed the minority judgment of the appellate court delivered by Justice Ekanem, which had nullified the judgment of the trial court on account of lack of jurisdiction.
Besides, the apex court held that the plaintiff, Aniagu Emmanuel, who initiated the suit at the trial court lacked the necessary legal backing to do so since he did not show how he was affected by who is the National Secretary of the PDP.